Save Me Forever
by melissa341
Summary: Sonny and Alexis. Involves other characters on GH as well. I started writing this on July 15, 2006. It has a difficult beginning, but it's about Sexis finding each other again.
1. Chapter 1

Save Me Forever

Save Me Forever

Chapter One

Alexis was tired, she heard voices coming from the lake as she walked up the steps to her new house. She walked over to the edge of the balcony to look at her family. Viola was sitting on the grass with Molly, helping her "walk". Kristina was swimming from Ric to Sam and back again. They were all joking and smiling and just having a great time. Alexis smiled and breathed easy for once in her life. Her press conference about the Manny Ruiz and Escobar case went well and everyone pretty much accepted that they were over. She knew that Jason killed Escobar. Everyone did, but Alexis didn't want to put him in prison for it. She wanted Sonny to stay out of the mob, which meant that Ric would have to as well. Suddenly someone grabbed her arm from behind and spun her around.

"Where's Emily?"

"Sonny?" He looked horrible. He was sweating and she could tell that he'd been crying and destroying things.

"Nikolas told Carly that he took Emily away. That's all he said to her. Alexis, I swear to God! Where are they?!"

"Sonny, calm down…I haven't talked to Nikolas in days. I have no idea."

He slapped her and she fell. Her hand reached up to where he hit her. It burned. Not only from the force of the slap, but the fact that the father of her child just hit her.

Sonny just looked down. He had no idea what was going on. He bent down and pulled her back up, dragging her into the house. He threw her onto the couch.

"Sonny, NO!! Stop!"

He slapped her again and again, he shook her violently and threw her to the ground. Alexis was stunned. She knew that she should try and defend herself, but she was taken by so much surprise, she couldn't move.

"Sonny!"

He hit her hard and she fell, hitting her head on the coffee table. She was out. Sonny just looked at her. His eyes widening. He finally realized what he'd done.

"Oh my God. Oh my God … Alexis? Alexis …" He didn't know what to do. He knew that Ric, Sam, or someone else would be coming in soon, so he picked Alexis up, carried her to his limo, and avoided Max's questions.

"Drive me home … NOW!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Alexis woke up with a splitting headache. What the hell was going on? She remembered the incident with Sonny and was frightened when she didn't notice anything familiar in the room she was in. The bed was comfortable and she didn't want to move, but she had to find out what was going on. She sat up and was forced back down. Her head hurt more than it ever had before. The door opened to the room and Robin Scorpio walked in.

"Hey, Alexis, you're awake! How are you feeling?"

"Robin? What? Where are we and why are you here?" Alexis questioned.

"Sonny called me. We're at Sonny's house. Do you remember what happened?"

"Yeah, Robin, I do remember … he hit me!! He probably would have killed me if I had fought back and hadn't have gotten knocked out. Why are you here and why am I not in a hospital?"

Robin sat down on the bed next to Alexis. "Sonny called me. You know he's going through another breakdown? Emily left him to be with Nikolas and Sonny just told me that he snapped. He asked if I would come over and make sure you'd be okay."

Alexis was confused. "Why … Robin … why did Sonny do this? Does he remember? Why didn't he bring me to the hospital?"

"You don't need the hospital. You're going to be fine, Alexis, and no, Sonny doesn't remember anything but you there in front of him on the floor. He knows that he did it, but he doesn't remember."

Alexis smiled up at Robin, "Listen, thank you for taking care of me … thank you for helping with Molly's birth during the train wreck … now, please take me home."

"You're welcome, but I can't. Look, Lainey Winters and I are roommates … I knew that she would keep this a secret until you woke up and decided whether or not to press charges. I wouldn't blame you if you did want to, but just listen. Lainey is downstairs with Sonny. Alexis, he honestly is really sick …"

"Then why hasn't he been committed? Has he even seen Lainey before today?"

"Yes, once, he had a session with her not long ago … he's … he's a work in progress. We're trying to get him committed, but he needs to want the help. Alexis, like I said, I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to press charges …"

"But you wouldn't?"

"Personally, no … if it were me, no. I wouldn't."

Alexis looked around the room. She didn't want to press charges against Sonny … she wanted to talk to him.

"Will you tell him that I'd like to speak to him?"

"He won't see you. He said that he can't see you like this."

"Well then he shouldn't have done this to me!!" Alexis became angry and stepped out of bed, with help from Robin. She walked down the hall to the living room, stopping right before the corner. She and Robin stood there listening to Sonny. He was in the middle of his session with Lainey.

"I don't know!" screamed Sonny. He honestly didn't. Why would Emily have left him? "I didn't hit Emily. I would never hurt her."

"Sonny, how do you know? You told me that you hurt Brenda, Lily, Carly, and most recently, Alexis, why won't you hurt Emily."

Sonny was frustrated. He would finally admit the truth. He would finally tell someone …

He looked defeated, "Because I only hurt the people that I love."

Lainey was taken aback. "You don't love Emily?"

Sonny sat in the chair across from Lainey. "I love her, sure, but not the way I loved the others. She took care of me. She supported me. She was there. She never challenged me, she always just accepted me and loved me the way I was."

"Men like that, Sonny … she didn't try to change you."

"She was too good for me. I didn't love her okay. I'm glad she's gone."

"Okay, Sonny, let's discuss Alexis."

"No."

"We have to. You hurt her physically tonight. You've never hurt the others that way. Why now? Why did you…"

"Stop. No. I can't."

Sonny walked out onto the patio. Robin came around the corner. Lainey looked up to her.

"He's exhausted. I'll come back tomorrow." She walked out.

"I need to lay down Robin," Alexis politely asked for help. Once in the bed, she fell into a deep sleep and dreamt of Sonny. She didn't dream about kissing or making love to him as she often did … she dreamt of their long conversations, their banter, their fun, their friendship. She dreamt of her Sonny.

"Sonny?"

Sonny turned around to see Robin.

"Hey … how is she?"

"She's awake. I filled her in on everything and I don't think that she wants to press charges, but Sonny, you need to talk to her. She doesn't seem angry."

"She is. She never seems the way she really is."

"You said that you don't love Emily … do you love Alexis? Did you ever?"

Sonny just looked at Robin. "I messed that up Robin, just like I mess everything up. I don't deserve anyone. You should go."

Robin didn't want to leave him like this, but she had to. Sonny's demons were nothing to mess around with. "Should I call Jason or … Carly?"

"No, they don't help me…they just get me through it. Lainey will be by tomorrow. You should get on home, it's getting dark. I'll have Max drive you."

Robin walked up to Sonny and hugged him. "Sonny, look at me … you need to talk to Alexis … you need to settle this …"

Sonny just shook his head. Robin left. Sonny made a drink. Then another, then another.

--

Alexis woke up and looked over at the clock, it was two-thirty in the morning and she wasn't tired anymore. She'd been asleep for a good nine hours. She stood and walked over to the window to look up at the stars, but instead looked down to see Sonny, sitting in a chair on the patio, with a gun pointed to his head.

Max was told to not bother him. Max wanted nothing to do with Sonny when he was drunk, so he called Jason … and Carly.

Alexis ran down the stairs into the living room in her pajamas, "SONNY!! NO!" She ran to the doors connecting to the patio, "Sonny!"

He turned and looked at her, the gun still to his temple. Tears were flowing down his cheeks. They just stared at each other. He saw her face … that gorgeous face that she hid from the world behind books and laws, and now … bruises. She looked at his face. That face that she loved so much and still did. He looked frightened … more than she'd ever seen him. He looked lost. Alexis softly shook her head. "Sonny, don't …"

"No one … can save me …" Sonny simply stated.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

"No one … can save me …" Sonny simply stated.

Alexis breathed easy, "Sonny, what are you doing? You have three children, a brother, a father … me. Sonny, you can't do this … give me the gun."

"Boss!" Max came running in with his gun drawn.

"Max, leave us alone," Sonny ordered, with the gun still at his head.

Alexis wouldn't take her eyes off of Sonny. She remained far away from him but was steadily moving closer to take the gun from him when he surrendered.

"Carly and Jason are on their way boss, don't do this."

"I don't want them … I don't need them!! They mean nothing to me anymore … they don't help me through these things … they just TALK to me! There is no way to end this … except this way."

"SONNY, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, STOP IT!" Alexis screamed, "It's ALWAYS about you! SONNY SONNY SONNY SONNY SONNY! Poor pitiful SONNY! Poor misunderstood Sonny! I'm so sick of it! Go ahead … pull the trigger Sonny!!" Alexis walked up to Sonny. He had more fear in his eyes, "Go ahead. I mean, Kristina won't remember you, hell, Sonny, you haven't seen her since you got out of the mob MONTHS ago. She has a father. Do you know what she calls Ric? She calls him Daddy Ric, because he's there. Day in, day out … he's there. Sonny, you are the most selfish bastard I've ever met!! You weren't like this before … when we were us. Jesus Sonny, what the HELL happened to you? You were like this before, but you were different. You smiled, you laughed … you … loved. Now, you're broke. What broke you? When did it happen? You been drowning and reaching out to the wrong people who can't pull you out of the water … they just push you further down, and now … when you have the people here that care, that want you here, you KILL YOURSELF??"

"Who cares, Alexis …" Sonny dropped the gun to his side. "Who?! You?"

Alexis shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Yes. ME! Me and Ric and Max and Robin and Lainey!"

"Ric wants control of me. You hate me. Max gets paid to care. Robin is just sweet, and Lainey…it's her job to help me."

"Jesus Sonny, you are so God d blind!! I'm here, battered and bruised BECAUSE of you, but I'm here. I'm here talking to you and telling you that I care and you dismiss it. Stop pushing us away. You've always pushed me away."

"Not always." Sonny looked sad. He turned, placed the gun down on the table, walked in to the living room, and sat down on the couch, burying his head in his hands."

Alexis picked up the gun and handed it to Max, who was still in the doorway, "Will you call Jason and Carly and tell them that everything's fine please?"

"Yes, Mrs. Davis."

Alexis went and sat by Sonny on the opposite side of the couch. She looked over on the coffee table in front of them and picked up a picture of Michael, Kristina, and Morgan. She held it up to Sonny.

"Look at them."

Sonny looked over, tears streaming silently down his face.

Alexis watched Sonny break down. "These three little kids are your life. Who cares who their mothers are? Who cares that Michael isn't blood. They are your life. You are their life. Sonny, you would really kill yourself? Because of Emily, me, Carly, Lily, Brenda, Jason, Ric, your business? Well then, you are the worst father ever. Did you even think of them? What would they do?"

"They would be sad, but they'd survive. Michael and Morgan never see me and Carly anymore, and they are strong. Kristina, like you said, has Ric and she has your strength. Alexis, I'm bi-polar … that means that Kristina and Morgan could have it."

"Yeah, Sonny, they might, and what will they do when times get tough? They'll reach for a gun … because that's what Daddy did."

Sonny looked away and just cried. He could feel the sobs coming and he wanted to be alone. He deserved to be alone.

Alexis saw his shoulders slump and the tears fall, so she did what she knew he needed. She scooted over to him and wrapped her arms around him. He fell back with her on the couch and cried himself to sleep in her arms.

Max was waiting outside the living room doors when Ric walked in.

"Where's Sonny?" he asked.

"He's in there, Ric, and he's busy."

"Look, Max, you don't like me, I don't like you, fine. Just let me in, he needs me."

"He's got someone to help now."

"Who?"

Max thought that Ric knew, but it was obvious he didn't.

"Who? Carly, Jason? Please Max, they don't help him."

"I know, I see that now. No, they aren't here, but the one person who can save him is here, and you aren't that person, Ric, so leave."

"SONNY!" Ric screamed through the door as Max pushed him out.

The door opened to the living room and there stood Alexis, beaten and tired.

"Alexis? What the HELL!!" Ric ran to her and enveloped her into his arms. "Baby, what happened to you?"

Alexis wiped the tears away. "I'm fine Ric … just go. Sonny needs to sleep."

"He did this to you? I'll kill him!" Ric walked past her to Sonny and grabbed him up from the couch. He slammed him against the wall and began choking him.

"Ric … STOP!" Alexis ran to them and pried her way in between the two brothers.

"Ric," she started explaining when they calmed down. "Everything is fine. It's okay, look … just … go home, go home and I'll call you later."

"No … Alexis, I'm not leaving you here with him."

"It's not your choice. Go."

Ric looked hurt. He couldn't believe that Alexis would do this. "Why are you choosing him over me?"

Sonny just watched. His head hurt. He didn't have the energy for a fight.

"Ric, I'm not choosing anyone over anyone. Sonny needs me right now and I'm here. I'm going to be here until he gets better, and I'm going to be here after that. Ric, you are my husband…I love you, but right now, I have to help Sonny."

Ric looked over at Sonny and back to Alexis. "Fine. Fine! Chose him!! If he's more important …"

"How DARE you! Ric … how dare you think that me doing this affects US in any way. How many times have you chose him over me? Over Kristina, over Molly?? Get out Ric." It hurt Alexis to say that, but Ric was acting like an eight year old.

Ric just walked away. He knew that she was right. He had chosen Sonny countless times over his real family. He was jealous that Sonny needed Alexis. He wanted Sonny to need him. He would have that. He knew just how to get it too.

He walked to his car, started the engine, and drove home … to Sam.

Alexis walked up to Sonny, "I'm sorry. I didn't … I mean … did you want him to stay?"

"No," Sonny answered and sat back down on the couch.

Alexis followed. "Sonny, you need help. Medical help. I think that you should go to Roselawn."

Sonny looked at Alexis and smiled. "I can't be locked up Alexis. I can't … I can't survive that."

"You can survive that, Sonny. You'll have help … my help, Ric's help, Lainey's help, and you'll get better."

Sonny was tired. He leaned back on the couch and looked at Alexis, "Why are you doing this? You said that you care … I know you care … I care about you. Throughout everything that's happened between us, I can't say that I ever stopped caring about you, but you hated me. You cared, but you hated me. Wouldn't it be much easier if I were out of your life?"

"For me, yes, it would be easier if Sonny, the selfish, dangerous mob boss was out of my life forever. But I'm not thinking about me, Sonny. My life revolves around my children … Sam, Kristina, and Molly. They need me. Sam needs me to show her that no matter what she does…no matter how much she blames me…for everything, from her child's death to her and Jason breaking up, she needs to know that I'll love her forever … no matter what. Molly needs me to show her the love that Sam went without for so long. She needs to grow up with a father and a mother who adore her. And Kristina…she needs what I denied her the first two years of her life. She needs her father. Sonny, I never kept her away from you because I hated you. I didn't do it out of spite. I did it for her protection, and I realize now that she didn't need protection from me, she needed honesty. I should have told her, I should have told you, but by God, Sonny, I was right. What happened three months after you found out? She was kidnapped. Yeah, Faith said that it was all of us she was trying to hurt, but if you weren't her father, Kristina wouldn't have been kidnapped."

Sonny nodded. He knew it too. "But I'm out now. I'm not the selfish, dangerous mob boss …"

"You're not the mob boss, Sonny, but you're still selfish and dangerous. You're sick. You destroy things. Look at my face Sonny. Kristina was there at the house when you did this to me. What if she saw? What if it were her instead of me?"

"I would never …"

"No, you can't say that. Sonny, it wasn't you who did this to me. You had no idea what was going on. Look, Sonny, I will leave right now and get full custody of our child forever and you will never see her again, or … you'll go with me right now to Roselawn and get help. That's it. It's your choice. I'm sick of seeing people bow down to you and treat you like an innocent, helpless baby. I believe that Carly and Jason love you, but they don't know what the doctors know. They don't know how to help you. Lainey can … the doctors at Roselawn can."

Sonny just looked over at her. He was scared. He couldn't do this alone. He felt like a child.

"I'll go. You have to promise me though … you'll be there. You'll be there when I need you."

"I'll be there. Sonny," Alexis brought her hand up to his face. "There are times when I see you. I really see you. The Sonny I knew. It wasn't so long ago, but it seems like a lifetime. We've both been beaten down. We've both lived a lifetime in just these past four years, but we survived … without each other."

"I can't survive this … not without you."

Alexis nodded. She swallowed hard and tears welled up in her eyes. "I can't survive this without you either."

He pulled her close to him. He would get through this. The one person who broke his heart would be the one to fix it.

She held him tight for a few moments sitting there on the couch. The one person who broke her heart would be the one to fix it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Ric sped the car up to the driveway and almost forgot to put it in park before he jumped out

Ric sped the car up to the driveway and almost forgot to put it in park before he jumped out. He ran up to the front door and let himself in. Sam was sitting on the couch holding Molly while Viola was taking Kristina's hair down. They all looked up at Ric.

"Slow down skippy!" joked Kristina. She was in a very silly mood since Sam tickled her for almost an hour previously. Ric had to smile at her.

"You're goofy!" He told her, swooping down to tickle her neck. He turned his attention to Molly, "Hello my baby," he said, scooping her up in his arms.

Viola smiled at the father and daughter and then ordered, "Okay girls, time for bed." She walked over to pick up Molly, "Ooooh, she's getting so big!" She grunted. Ric smiled and kissed Molly goodnight.

"You heard the woman Sam … 'okay girls, time for bed'," Kristina said, mocking Viola.

"Oh ha ha silly!" Sam gave Kristina and Molly a kiss goodnight as well. Ric and Sam watched the three go back into the back rooms and turned to each other.

"You sounded urgent on the phone. What's wrong Ric?"

"I need your help and I wanted to make sure that you'd be here."

Sam just stared at him. She was sick of seducing him, but anything to make Alexis pay.

"Well, I'm HERE Ric … what is it?"

"I want to get you back with Jason. I want Alexis to come home. I want Sonny to need me. You and I had that conversation the other day about how I want to be close to my brother and how I want him to need me … well, here's our chance."

"What are you talking about?"

"Sonny hit Alexis. It looked like many, many times."

"WHAT!? I'll kill him!" Sam started walking to the door. She suddenly stopped. She thought to herself, 'Where did that come from?' as she turned to Ric. She didn't really care about Alexis … or did she? She asked Ric, still upset, "Sorry, where is she?"

"I had the same reaction and Alexis stood up for Sonny. She told me to leave. She kicked me out of MY brother's house. She's there now with him … taking care of him. Sam, that's MY JOB! I want to save him from this."

"So how can I help? What's going on Ric? You can't be jealous of Sonny and Alexis, they hate each other."

"Yeah, I thought so, too … but now … not so much."

"Okay, so what's the plan? This won't hurt Alexis will it?" Sam tried to sound like that mattered to her. In all honesty, she wanted to hurt Alexis. She wanted to rip everything away from her like Alexis did to her and Jason.

"It shouldn't. She's forgiven me worse."

Sam just sat down, and listened.

--

Sonny let go of Alexis, "So what, we're friends now?" He smiled.

She stood up and walked around, picking up the shards of glass on the coffee table and then stopped. She looked over to him and nodded, "I guess so. Are you going to get help Sonny?"

"Yes," He answered without hesitation.

Alexis called Lainey and they set up a room for him at Roselawn. Sonny sat on the couch the entire time. He didn't want to do this. When Alexis hung up the phone, she sat beside him and took his hand.

"Look, I know you're scared."

Sonny nodded, letting the tears form.

"I'll be there through it all. You will not be alone."

Sonny looked up at Alexis through his tears, "You've always been the one. You are it, Alexis."

Alexis just looked; she didn't know what to say. When Sonny leaned in, she couldn't move. She knew she needed to, but she couldn't. Her mind flashed back to that day so long ago. Their first kiss. Sonny's hand went to the back of her neck and pulled her in. His lips were softer than she remembered … his tongue less eager. The kiss was slow. They explored, they felt. Alexis pushed him back after a moment.

"Wha … Sonny?"

Sonny just looked at her, his eyes full of lust, "I need you, Alexis."

"Sonny … I"

"Please. Alexis, you're it for me."

Alexis swallowed and stood up. "Sonny, we need to get you to Roselawn. Come on."

"You're married."

"Yes."

"To my brother."

"Yes."

"You love him?"

"Yes, Sonny."

"You love me?"

Alexis looked at him sadly, "I will always love you."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"This is nice," Alexis said, admiring the room.

"It's a little better than a prison cell," Sonny remarked, under his breath.

"Sonny."

"I know."

Alexis set down one of his suitcases on the bed and walked over to him, "It's all going to be okay. Lainey says that you just need to stay here for a while. Not long. She'll be in tomorrow morning."

"And you?"

"I'll be here."

Sonny smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm serious Alexis. I can't do this without you."

"Since when?!" Yelled Carly from the door, "You can't do this without HER?"

Sonny and Alexis rolled their eyes at the same time.

"Carly, what are you doing here?" Alexis asked.

"I went to your house Sonny, and Milo told me that you agreed to come here for a while. What the hell? What in the world are you thinking?"

"Why are you against this Carly? This place helped you didn't it?" questioned Sonny.

Carly looked down, then back up at Sonny. "You helped me, Sonny. You. It was thinking of you that got me through it and now, Alexis is helping you? You hate her …"

"No I don't."

"Please! Of course you do!"

"NO, CARLY, I don't. You can't get me through this! Jason can't. Only she can."

Alexis looked away, not knowing what to do.

"I can't believe this! This is crazy. Just because she gave you a child, which she LIED about for YEARS! Just because she says that all's forgiven, and conned you into thinking that you forgive her …"

"I do forgive her. Carly, you wouldn't understand."

"Why, why wouldn't I understand Sonny!?"

"BECAUSE YOU HAVE NO HEART!!" Screamed Alexis, walking up to Carly.

Alexis caught Carly's wrist before her hand made contact with her face, "I've been hit too much in the last two days, Carly … I'm not in the mood … BACK OFF."

"I hate you."

"Of course you do. I have everything you want. I have Sonny's ear, I have children who I SPEND TIME WITH, I have a job that doesn't revolve around the latest man in my life, and I have a HEART! I know you want Sonny to get better, so leave. Let him get better. Go to the Metro-Court and wait for Jax to come home … which he won't … hopefully he came to his senses and will never come back to you. Go to your kids Carly. Go be the mother that they need. Someone who doesn't use them to stay in their father's life!!"

"Shut up, Alexis. I'm so sick of …"

"No, Carly … leave," Sonny ordered, "NOW!" Carly said nothing else. Sonny had chosen. Carly looked into his eyes for a moment and saw love. Not for her. Not for anyone but the other woman in this room.

"Does your brother know you're in love with his wife?" Carly said harshly as she walked out.

Alexis' cell phone rang before she or Sonny could say anything, "Alexis Davis."

"Mrs. Davis, it's Dr. Patrick Drake, I think you need to get down to the hospital right away."

"What's wrong?" Alexis panicked as she ran to retrieve her purse from the chair.

"It's your daughter, Sam, she's been admitted and I think we might have to perform surgery. She was complaining about a bad migraine and we did some tests. I think you might want to come in and …"

"I'll be right there. Please, tell her I'll be right there," Alexis hung up and rushed to the door, forgetting about Sonny. Once she remembered, she turned …

"Sonny … it's Sam, I have to get to the hospital."

"Of course, go!" Sonny urged, not able though to hide his disappointment.

"Sonny, I have to …"

"I know, of course. I hope everything's okay."

Alexis looked at him for a moment, "I'll try to be here tomorrow. I'll call you later tonight when I hear anything."

Sonny nodded and looked away and she left. Carly's words stuck with him.

Does your brother know you're in love with his wife?

He sat down on the bed and stared around the room. He was completely alone. He was scared. He was petrified. He was in love.

"Where is she?" Alexis asked Dr. Drake when she stepped off the elevator onto the fifth floor.

"I'll take you to her. We did a cat scan and found some abnormalities. Mrs. Davis, it looks like the surgery didn't work."

"Oh my God." So many things ran through Alexis' mind. Her daughter might die … again. She hadn't had enough time with her yet … she couldn't lose her. She looked through the window to Sam's room and saw her sleeping. She walked in and took her hand.

"Alexis."

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"My head … it hurts."

"I know …" Alexis gently ran her hand through Sam's hair, holding it to the side of her face for a while, "I'm here. We're going to get through this. I promise."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For interrupting your day. I told them not to call you. Ric told me that you were dealing with Sonny. What … Alexis, what happened to you?" Sam had finally noticed the bruising and swelling of her beautiful mother's face.

"It's nothing, I'll be fine."

"Sonny did that to you?" Sam pretended to guess, knowing exactly what happened.

"Yes, but it was a mistake. He's sick, but he's getting help. I'm more worried about you right now. Look, I'm here okay … just go to sleep, you seem tired. I'm going to go find Robin and see what's going on …"

"NO!" Sam said quickly. "No, Dr. Drake is my doctor. I only want him."

Alexis looked confused. "Okay, okay, I'll go find him. Sam …" Alexis took a moment. She saw Sam look up at her like she was a child, "Sam, I love you." And she was gone. Sam's mouth dropped and her eyes widened. 'Oh my God. She loves me' she thought. She suddenly regretted doing this, but she had to keep thinking about the end result. Jason.

After Dr. Drake filled her in on Sam's condition, Alexis decided that surgery would be the best option. "Wait!" she said as Patrick walked away. "Wait, I need a second opinion." Patrick froze.

"I don't think that's wise, Mrs. Davis, we need to do this surgery immediately."

"Just … hold on … I have to call someone," she explained as she whipped out her cell phone.

Patrick tried to grab it from her. Alexis held on tightly and looked at him like he was crazy.

"What the hell are you doing? I have to call Jason?"

Patrick released the phone. "Okay, fine, but hurry!" He ordered as he stormed off to Sam's room.

"Morgan."

"Jason, it's Alexis."

"What now?"

"It's Sam, come to the hospital, fifth floor." She slammed it shut. Alexis took a seat in the waiting area. Her hands on her knees and her head in her hands, she cried. This couldn't be happening again.

Jason stepped off the elevator and immediately saw Alexis, tears and all.

"What happened?! What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything, Jesus! Sit down!" She ordered and sat down across from him. Alexis filled him in on everything Patrick told her. Jason listened intently and then questioned, "Why did you tell me? What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to help me make this decision. Sam hated me for going behind your back before and stopping the surgery. She loves you Jason, and you love her. I know that you want what's best for her and I want her to know that of me. I want her to live, Jason. I want her to be happy, but I want her to live. You've shown me that you want that too. Jason …" this was hard for her, "… Jason, I don't think I was wrong to want her away from you. I don't regret any of it … but it's not about me. It's not about you. This is about Sam and what she wants … what she needs. She needs you."

Jason sat there silently listening to Alexis apologizing in her own way. He continued to stare into her eyes when she stopped talking for a moment and finally replied, "You're right. I do love her. Of course I want her to live … but why now? Why are you saying this now?"

"Because Patrick says she might die. You told me that she was my daughter, thinking that she could die at any minute. I'm telling you that I want you in her life, thinking that she might die. Life is too short Jason. Look at my face. You see the bruises, Sonny did this. He beat me, but he didn't mean to. I beat Sam. Emotionally. I hurt her and I want her forgiveness. I want my daughter to love me, and if it has to be through you, then fine."

"She's not going to die, Alexis. She can't. When she pulls through this, I'm going to be in her life."

"Good." Alexis was tired. She wanted to see Sam. "Fine, that's fine Jason, I want that. Most of all, I want her to pull through this, and she can if she has me and you together."

She stood up and walked to Sam's room, followed by her future son-in-law.

"Sonny?" Ric asked, peeking his head into Sonny's room. He saw his brother sitting on the bed, looking lost.

"Yeah. Ric, what?"

"I just wanted to check up on you."

"Oh, okay, come on in. I'm fine. How's Sam?"

"They don't know for sure yet. Alexis told me to tell you that she wouldn't be back here for a few days … I hope it's okay that I'm here instead."

"That's fine … I guess. She's not coming tomorrow?" Sonny said, averting his eyes from Ric's. He couldn't look at his brother. He couldn't look at the man that had the life that he wanted.

"No. She … I … this is hard for me to say Sonny, but Alexis doesn't want any part in this."

Sonny's head snapped up, "That's a lie. She told me she'd be here."

"She lied, Sonny, she just had to get you here. Now you're here. She's where she needs to be."

"I know she needs to be with Sam, but she wouldn't have lied to me about this. She said that she'd try to be here tomorrow." Sonny looked like a child, finding out that his world was full of lies.

"No, Sonny … she told me to come and get you through this. She doesn't want any part of it Sonny. I'm sorry. She's … she's angry at you."

"No … no she's not. Why would she be?"

"You beat her Sonny. You beat her unconscious and kidnapped her."

"I did NOT kidnap her! I brought her to my house …"

"That's kidnapping … you should have brought her to the hospital!"

"No! Robin said she'd be fine."

"You wanted to make sure that she wouldn't press charges … that she wouldn't take Kristina out of your life, so you …"

"No! I was confused … I didn't know what I was doing!! Alexis …"

"… hates you Sonny! She hates you and she doesn't want to be here!" Ric yelled.

"No, she said …"

"It doesn't matter what she said … she lied. Why do you think she told you she'd be here and then got me to come tell you this? She doesn't want to be a part of your life. She never did!"

"That's not true!! She did! She does!"

Ric sat beside his brother on the bed. "Why do you think she put you in here? She won't have to deal with this. She won't have to see you, you won't have to be around Kristina. I think you being in here is a good thing, Sonny, you'll get help, and I can be the one here for you."

"But …"

"Look, Sonny, just, stop! Alexis doesn't want to be here! Accept it!!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Two days had passed and Alexis was tired. She wanted to call Sonny, but every time she got her cell phone out, something interrupted her. Sam's monitors beeping, Ric stopping in, Patrick coming to update them, Jason asking her something … she never got a chance to call him. She told Ric to pass the message along to Sonny that she was sorry. That once Sam pulled through this, she'd be there with him.

"How ya doin'?" Jason asked nicely, sitting down beside Alexis who was rubbing her neck on the bench outside of Sam's room.

"Hey … I'm … okay. You?"

"I'm here. Maybe you should go home, get some sleep."

"I can't. I'm … I'm tired, but I can't sleep."

"Patrick said that the surgery went okay."

"It was a three hour surgery and I couldn't get a nurse to update me that whole time. I was so scared."

"Me too. Elizabeth says that she wasn't involved, and she's been so busy with other patients, she can't check Sam's chart."

"I'm also … I'm worried about Sonny. Is that horrible of me? To be sitting here outside of my daughters hospital room, worrying about someone else?"

"No, I'm worried about Sonny too, but … Carly told me that he doesn't want me there. He doesn't want either one of us there. Carly's pissed."

"She's pissed at me, too."

"Well that's odd."

Alexis laughed. "Yeah, when is she not pissed at me?"

Jason sighed …"Carly is …"

"Please … Jason, please don't defend her to me. It's pointless."

"Yeah, that's true. You haven't talked to Sonny?"

"I haven't had time. Ric's passing messages along for me, but I'd like to go see him. I just can't. I can't leave Sam."

Jason nodded. Just then, Ric walked up. He hated that Jason and Alexis were talking, so he had to step in.

"Hey, how's Sam?"

Alexis looked up to him and smiled. "She's about the same. Sleeping a lot. How's Sonny?" Ric looked at Jason … and Jason took the hint. He walked in to Sam's room and sat with her, holding her hand. Alexis watched Jason leave and took Ric's hand as he sat down beside her.

"He's pretty bad. He told Lainey that he wanted another therapist, which she immediately granted him when he almost hit her."

"Oh my God, Ric."

"Everything's better now though. But, honey, I um … I have to tell you something."

Alexis looked frightened. "What?"

"The new therapist doesn't want Sonny to have any visitors. No one. Not me, you, the kids, no one. He wants Sonny alone for a while."

"That'll kill him."

"Sonny agrees."

"Ric, Sonny would never agree to be alone. He needs someone …"

"He has someone. His therapist. Sonny needs no contact from his life right now. I fought the guy on this, but he assures me that Sonny will improve if he searches himself for answers, not looking for them from someone else."

Alexis just couldn't understand. She knew Sonny couldn't be alone. He couldn't be in that room, in that hospital, and be sane by himself.

"Baby, I know you want to help him, but he'll be fine. Stop worrying about him and think about Sam. Hey, look, she's awake."

Alexis looked into Sam's room and saw her daughter smiling at Jason. Alexis smiled. He was right. She needed to be a mother. She needed to do this right now. Sonny would have to come later.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Two more days had passed and Alexis was able to take Sam home … to Jason's. Alexis didn't like it, but it had to be done.

"Jason," Alexis questioned as he walked her to the door. She had helped get Sam up to the bed and left when she fell asleep.

"Yeah?" He answered nicely. He knew Alexis meant well by Sam, but the fact that she didn't fight this … Sam moving back in with him, concerned him.

Alexis looked down and then back up at Jason. "Please. Jason, please … take care of her." She felt the tears falling, but stared intently into his eyes, proving her point that she wanted her daughter safe.

Jason's heart broke at her words, "Alexis, I promise you …"

"No. No, you can't promise. You can't promise anything. You're in the mob … you're a constant target. She will never be guaranteed safe with you."

"Unless I get out."

Alexis suddenly turned hopeful. "Are you planning to?"

Jason looked at her and shook his head. "I don't see how …"

"Lorenzo. Lorenzo Alcazar. He'll take it. I'm sure he'll take it all! Jason!!" Alexis pleaded.

"I will not …"

"Don't you do that. Don't stand there and say that you have too much pride to contact him. I'll do it!"

"No!"

"Jason … I'll do it. You won't stop me. Just get ready to give it all up. I'll call you later," Alexis ordered and walked out.

Jason stood there, staring at the door. What the hell just happened? He called Ric … not wanting to, but he needed to make sure that Alexis was safe.

--

"Thank you for meeting me Mr. Alcazar."

Lorenzo nodded, "I would be lying if I said I wasn't intrigued by your message. You have a message for me from Jason Morgan?"

Alexis didn't want to chit-chat with this man she used to loathe … 'Why don't I anymore?' she thought to herself … but she got right to the point.

"Jason will give you his business. All of it, everything."

Lorenzo looked at her, puzzled.

"And he sent you here to tell me."

"Well, I … I pretty much ordered him … I told him that I'd contact you."

Lorenzo looked at the woman in front of him. Sure, he had yelled at her for killing his brother, he screamed and threatened, but none of that seemed to bother her. He wondered if it ever did.

"You killed my brother … why should I trust you?"

"Jesus Christ, LORENZO!! You saying that I killed your brother and Ric saying that he is Sonny's brother CONSTANTLY doesn't make it more important than it is!" She yelled, "Will you never accept that it was an accident? Will you never understand that he killed MY SISTER!? Ric will never accept that Sonny doesn't love him and you'll never accept that I'm NOT SCARED of you!!"

Lorenzo was amazed. His lips turned up into a smile. He heard what she had said, but he couldn't get the sound of her saying his first name out of his head.

"Okay, Alexis."

She looked bewildered. "What? Okay WHAT?"

"Tell Morgan to contact me." He smiled, turned, and walked away.

Sonny couldn't breathe. It felt like a year since he'd seen her. He professed his love for her, they kissed, and she left. She didn't call, didn't ask for him through Ric, or Carly … she didn't care. Alexis said that she would always love him … but that was a lie. She just told him that to get him here, then she left.

Ric explained that she wanted nothing to do with him. His new therapist explained why he shouldn't call her, or Robin, or Jason for that matter.

"How are you today?"

"Fine." Sonny withdrew himself immediately from his therapist.

"Great. So, what were we talking about in the last session?"

"My memory."

"Right. You don't remember attacking Dr. Winters."

"They said I almost hit her, that's not attacking."

"Right. What else can't you remember?"

"Well, a few months back, I threatened to make Alexis disappear."

"Alexis?"

"My best friend."

"I thought Jason Morgan wa…"

"No. Jason is nothing to me. Carly told me that he doesn't care … he doesn't want to be involved … just like Alexis."

"Carly loves you. So does your brother." The therapist said, working his agenda.

Sonny nodded.

"So you threatened Alexis?"

"Yes, and she forgave me. She said she'd always love me."

"But she doesn't?"

"No."

"Well, how do you feel about that?"

Sonny looked up at the man and laughed bitterly, shaking his head. He hated therapy.

After calling Jason and checking up on Sam, Alexis was ready to get home. She walked through the front door and was immediately greeted by hugs and kisses from Kristina and Molly. She saw Ric watching her out of the corner of her eye and he didn't look pleased. After playing around with her two youngest girls, Alexis joined Ric in their bedroom.

"What's going on Alexis?"

"What do you mean?"

"You met with Alcazar?"

"Jason called you," she stated.

"Yes, he was worried that you'd be in danger … I went to the docks, but you were gone."

"Jason's giving the business to Lorenzo … I just helped …"

"You could've been hurt."

"I don't care, Ric. Better me than Sam! Listen … because of Jason's life, she was shot …"

"I know, Alexis, but …"

"Ric, I don't want to hear anything else about it. My children come first, you know that. Now, how's Sonny?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him since the doctor told us we couldn't."

Lie.

"He won't update us?"

"No."

Lie.

"And no one can visit him?"

"No."

Lie.

Alexis watched Ric closely. "Why are you lying to me?"

Ric looked at her, with panic on his face.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

"Get out." Sonny looked at Alexis, heartbroken.

"Sonny …"

"No. Get out." He walked to the door to his room and opened it, motioning for her to leave.

"Let me explain, Sonny!" Alexis was sitting on his bed, knowing that she wasn't going to leave.

"There's nothing to explain. You left me. You lied. You …"

"No, no! Sonny, I didn't! Sam was …"

"I know, she was in the hospital, but you could've called … you …"

Alexis walked up to Sonny as he was speaking and needed for him to shut up. She needed for him to let her explain everything Ric, Sam, and Carly had done. She didn't know how to get his attention … well, she could only think of one way.

"You left …" he continued and she shut him up with a kiss. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in. It wasn't a sweet kiss, nor was it slow and soft. He was stunned, but he wasn't fighting … well, he was fighting to keep her right where she was. He was lost in her. He forgot how angry he was the moment their lips met. She didn't want to let go. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he turned her around and pushed her against the door. They didn't care that anyone could walk by and see them. No one else in the world existed. His hands went to her waist, then her back, then her neck, lips never parting. Alexis moaned into his mouth and drowned in the feeling of his hands roaming over her, tongues exploring, teeth biting … she smiled against his mouth and arched her back as he moved down to her neck. He felt so good, so strong pinning her against the door. His lips found hers again, kissing her hungrily.

As he returned to her neck, she whispered, "Sonny …"

"Sonny …" again after no response. He looked at her, tears in his eyes.

Sonny could read her eyes. He knew she wouldn't have left him … not ever.

"Alexis. I love you."

_Four hours later …_

She woke up feeling his arms around her. She had never felt this safe…this loved.

"Good morning beautiful."

"Is it morning?" Alexis asked.

"No."

She smiled, kissing him softly.

"So, explain," Sonny said.

Alexis sighed. "Are you sure?"

Sonny wrapped her in his arms under the covers and held her tight, her head against his chest. "Yeah. What happened?"

Alexis looked up at him and stared into his eyes for a moment. Those eyes. She fell in love with this man before and finally realized that she had never stopped. The threats, the lies, the custody hearing, the attempts to put him in prison, they were all … attempts for attention? Ways to get back at him for leaving her? Ways to keep him a part of her life … she wasn't sure … all that mattered was right now. In this bed, them naked and holding onto each other for dear life, loving each other.

"We got screwed."

Sonny laughed. "Lexi, that language."

"Well, it's appropriate. My husband, my daughter, your ex-wife, Patrick Drake, your psychiatrist. They screwed us."

"No, we screwed each other …" Sonny said playfully, nibbling her neck.

"Sonny! That's so …"

"Vulgar, disgusting…"

Alexis smiled down at him, "There was nothing vulgar about what just happened here … but don't say 'screwed' …"

"You said it first." He gently pushed a strand of hair behind her face.

"Okay, sorry, we've been had."

"But it's over?"

Alexis nodded sadly.

He held her tighter in his arms. "Why didn't we do this a year ago? Two years ago?"

She looked up at him confused. "Are you kidding me?!"

"No. Lexi, we've never stopped loving each other, why didn't we try to work on it?"

"Carly … Kristina … Ned … Jax … Jason … Emily …"

"Those are people who could've been put aside … and Kristina - she's going to love us together! Alexis, why didn't I have the strength to grab you that day at the PCPD and kiss you?"

"What day?"

"Two years ago when you were missing your earring and you were saying all of those wonderful things about my brother."

"You wanted to kiss me?"

"Every time I saw you."

Alexis smiled and kissed him. They savored each other's kisses for a few minutes and things quickly got heated. Alexis crawled on top of him, and he smiled, "So, we're done talking?"

Alexis smiled seductively, straddling him, "We're done talking … I'm going to show you what I wanted to do to you every time I saw you …" They didn't talk for the rest of the night.

"Jason, is Sam here?" Ric asked Jason in the doorway of his apartment.

"Yeah, hold on." Jason still hated Ric, but Sam kept talking about how he was a constant support for her mother, and that Jason should give him a second chance, or at least a little slack.

"Sam?!" Jason yelled up the stairs. He turned back to Ric, "I … um … I need to go do a few things, please don't stay long, Sam needs her rest," He said as politely as possible. Ric looked worried, panicked even and just nodded, sitting on the couch. Jason eyed him warily until the door closed behind him. He had to go see Sonny. Right or wrong, he had to check on his best friend.

"Ric? Where's Jason?" Sam asked, coming down the stairs.

"It doesn't matter. Alexis knows. She … she knows everything."

Sam gasped, "Wha … what? HOW!?"

"She said that someone at the hospital figured it out. Patrick confirmed it to them. I guess his medical license was more important than the money we gave him." Ric looked defeated.

"Oh my God … oh my God, does Jason know? Did you tell him?"

"Now why would I do that?"

Sam shook her head. Alexis knew. It was over.

"So …" she said, sitting in the chair across from him, "What happens now?"

"I'm getting a divorce."

"She's going to divorce you over this?!"

"Not really over this, she said that she was tired of my obsession with Sonny. This plan wasn't about her, it was about him. Which is true … but … I … I don't know."

"We're screwed."

Ric nodded, "We're screwed."

Alexis stretched out on the bed next to Sonny. He was staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing."

"What?" She smiled.

"You're so beautiful. I'm so glad Kristina looks like you."

"She looks more like you."

"Maybe the hair, but her face, her expressions, she's all you."

Alexis smiled. "She saved me you know?"

"How?" He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her keep talking.

"If I hadn't been pregnant when my sister died … if I didn't have that child inside of me and with me after she was born, I wouldn't be here now."

"I wouldn't have let you do anything to yourself."

"You weren't around to stop me."

"I was always around. There was always someone watching you, Alexis."

Alexis' eyes widened, "What!?"

Sonny smiled, "Yeah, I knew you'd be mad. I was worried about you. You were my best friend …" He grew serious, moving closer to her, running his hand through her hair and down her face, "You saved me. The least I could do was watch out for you when you left."

Alexis just looked at him for a moment, "I love you, Sonny. I'm sorry …"

"No … no regrets. You're not sorry for keeping Kristina from me. I would be angry at you if you were. She saved you, and you saved us."

"The perfect little family, running around town saving each other … but there are some problems."

"What?" He said, kissing her shoulder.

"Molly … your brother … Sam."

Sonny sighed and rolled over onto his back. Alexis followed him, staring in his eyes as she kissed down his chest, stopping midway down, propping her chin on her hands on top of him.

"Molly isn't a problem … she's a wonderful addition to this family. She's gorgeous like her mother, and she'll be just fine. As for Ric and Sam …" He shrugged.

"I don't know either." She returned to kissing his chest. His hand went to her hair.

This is the scene Jason walked in on. Alexis kissing down Sonny's chest, covered up by a very thin sheet, Sonny running his right hand through her hair lovingly, looking down at her with perfect happiness on his face.

"Jason!" Alexis and Sonny exclaimed together as their heads jerked to the door.

"Oh my God … I'm … wow … I'm sorry," Jason stammered, closing the door fast behind him as he walked out into the hallway. He did not just see that! Alexis? Sonny? What the hell was going on!? He contemplated leaving, but … something made him stay. Ric was at his apartment and his wife was here, in bed with Sonny.

"Hey man," Sonny said, walking out into the hallway.

"Hey, I'm sorry, Sonny, I should have knocked … I just …"

"It's okay, what's up?"

Jason looked at Sonny like he were a ghost, "What the hell is going on?"

"It's uh … a long story … come on in, we'll explain it …"

"No, I really don't need to know about you and Ale …"

"Yeah, you do. This involves you. Sam and Ric … and Carly … look, just, come in."

Jason complied, confused.

Alexis was sitting on the bed with Sonny's robe wound tightly around her. She wasn't ashamed … wasn't embarrassed … she was excited, happy even that someone knew. She didn't want to keep her relationship or feelings toward Sonny a secret, especially from Jason. She was very proud of Jason. He gave up the business for her daughter with no second thought. Her daughter, the one who went behind her back, faking surgery, faking affection, just to get Jason back … just to get her out of Sonny's life. Alexis was proud of Jason, and didn't want to see him hurt, but he had to know about what Sam did. It wasn't unforgivable … it was just … silly … she didn't se how Ric actually thought this would work.

Sonny walked in, followed by Jason. Jason sat in the chair off to the side and noticed that Sonny couldn't stop smiling at Alexis since he walked in the room. After they explained everything, Jason stormed out, mentioning that Ric was with Sam at his apartment. Sonny let him go, knowing that he wouldn't do anything stupid, then, they heard a frantic knock at the door.

"Sonny, it's Carly, I'm coming in."

Before she could walk in, Sonny grabbed Alexis and pulled her in to an amazingly passionate kiss. Alexis knew what he was doing, and of course she would play along … making Carly jealous was a bonus.

Carly breathed in dramatically when she saw the two making out by the bed.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

Alexis pulled back from Sonny, arms still wrapped around his neck. She smiled, "Carly … what an unexpected pleasure to see you. Would you mind giving us a minute? I should really put some clothes on."

Sonny just stared contently at Alexis and smiled. He didn't look at Carly once, he was happy enough just watching her. She was his … and she was happy. Nothing would come between them again.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"You're only dating him to make me jealous!!" Ric screamed.

Alexis looked at him calmly. "First of all, the girls are asleep, so shut the hell up. Second of all, Ric …" she smiled, "we're doing much more than just dating … now move …" she had gone to the lake house to pack a few clothes and get Kristina. They were going to stay at Greystone together until they could get everything in order to get an apartment. It had been a week since she found out about Ric and Sam's little plot.

"So, you're taking Kristina …" Ric followed her to their room … now his room alone … and was determined to upset her, "but you're leaving Molly. What? She isn't good enough because she's not Sonny's?"

Alexis turned quickly and contacted her right fist to his left jaw. He dropped to the floor, stunned. He had expected a slap, but not a punch. He looked up at her and was frightened for the first time in a long time of anyone.

"You bastard … you are nothing … and if I have my way, Molly will live with me and me alone until she's eighteen, and you'll just have visitation rights. You son of a bitch …" she kicked him … kicked him where he least wanted to be kicked. He whimpered on the floor for a few moments and tried to catch his breath. Alexis left him in the hallway and continued her journey the bedroom to pack … smiling. That felt good.

"Why do I have to stay here? I mean, I'm getting better," Sonny questioned Lainey.

"You are, but I think … I mean, my professional opinion is that you stay for at least a little while longer. You can have visitors …"

"Every night?" Sonny was dead serious, but Lainey had to laugh. She knew that he meant Alexis.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing." Lainey smiled, "Yes, you may have visitors at all times. But only from people who won't upset you. Not Carly, Ric, Mr. Alcazar …"

"Not to worry … won't be a problem."

"Okay, great. Listen, I know you want to go home, get started on this new life, but give it a little while, a week, two, maybe more … just to get better."

Sonny nodded, "I'll do anything. I want to get better."

Alexis made Viola stay with Molly after much protest.

"Please, Alexis, don't make me stay here with him! Take Molly, too!"

Alexis smiled at her friend. "Look, this will look much better to the judge." She said cuddling her youngest daughter. "It's nine-thirty, she's asleep, just, stay here tonight and come tomorrow. We'll get an even better apartment than we had before. Four bedrooms … wait … five."

"Who's the other one for?"

Alexis let out a long breath. "Sam."

Viola nodded slowly. "Sam?"

"Just in case she needs somewhere to stay. I don't know what's going on with her, but … if she needs a place one day, she'll have it."

"Okay, fine … I'll stay … one night."

"Viola, when Molly comes here to visit, you're coming with her."

Viola looked down … she knew this would happen, "Okay. I'm sorry …"

"No, hey, don't be sorry. I wouldn't want to stay here either." They laughed.

Ric walked in to see Alexis kissing Molly goodnight. Kristina was snuggled next to her mother, sleeping on the couch.

"Can we talk?"

"Not right now Ric, we're leaving."

"Please, just give me a minute."

Alexis looked down and saw that Kristina was asleep. They walked outside onto the deck.

"What Ric?

"Can you ever forgive me?"

"For what exactly?" she wanted him to say it … to fess up to everything.

Ric looked confused. "For everything I did. For what Sam and I pulled, keeping you away from Sonny so I could help him, for her trying to get Jason back."

"You think that's why I'm leaving you?"

Ric looked in her eyes and nodded, "Yeah, I mean, what else …"

"I heard you talking to Sam. A few weeks ago. She was angry at me, you were as well. It was odd to hear it from you, but it was her normal bitch fest … and I was the target, as usual, but you egged her on. You told her things that would influence her opinion of me and they were complete lies. The bitch fest from her, Ric, I was use to … what I wasn't use to is hearing my husband tell my daughter that I was … um … let's see, what were the words … 'impossible to get along with for more than an hour' 'controlling', that I loved 'Kristina more than Molly' oooh, Ric, you must know how much that one hurt. God, let's see … that 'the only reason you stayed with me was because you didn't want to hurt Molly … um … in family court' is what I heard."

"You were in the house?"

Alexis laughed, "Yeah. Yeah, I was …"

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"You aren't as bright as I thought … okay, why didn't I say anything? Because I was in SHOCK … um … maybe I didn't think that I'd heard you correctly when you basically said that you didn't love me … um … maybe I realized finally that I DIDN'T LOVE YOU … those thoughts might silence someone for a while, don't you think?"

Ric nodded. A moment passed by with just them looking at each other.

"So this has nothing to do with Sonny?"

Alexis looked at him sadly, "This has everything to do with Sonny. I'm in love with him. He's in love with me. You're obsessed with him, he isn't very happy with you."

"I just wanted him …"

"Exactly."

"You didn't let me finish."

"You didn't have to … I know what you were going to say. You just wanted him to love you."

Ric nodded, "I'm sorry."

Alexis nodded back, "I know. I also know what it feels like to want someone to love you. My life revolved around my brother for years. It wasn't unhealthy like your obsession, but it controlled me. It took me a while to get over it … to move on … to find things that mattered more … and, Ned, Sonny, my sister, and especially that little girl right in there sleeping … they helped me. They made me see that I need to live my life for me … not anyone else besides my children. They also made me see that I deserved better than to be treated like … nothing, as if I didn't matter enough to my husband. I'm leaving you Ric, because you'll never choose me over your brother. Ric, you need to get over this. You need to honestly get to the point where you can say that you'd choose your daughter over your brother … you'd choose to live a happy life without the love of your brother, because honesty, right now, if you had to make that decision, that little baby sleeping in there, all innocent and happy, wouldn't have a father … you'd choose him and that would destroy her."

"He hates me doesn't he?"

"No. Well, he might after I tell him what you said earlier about me not wanting Molly, but, no Ric, he doesn't hate you. And … I'll talk to him. I'll help you get your relationship back on track, but my kids come first. If it doesn't work, if he doesn't want you in his life, that's his decision. Your daughter and his daughter are my daughters. Do you get that? We have to co-exist for them, and that's it."

"But you'll be with him? And I'll …"

"I'll be with him. He'll be with me. And you'll be here. Whether or not you're alone is up to you." And with that, she went in the living room to collect the sleeping Kristina, packed her into the car, and drove to Greystone.

Sonny pulled the sheets up and curled around the pillow, smelling the scent she had so lovingly left behind for him. She moved Kristina into Greystone and Molly would join them tomorrow. Sonny smiled. His family. The boys, the girls, and her. He wanted so badly to ask her to come stay the night with him, but he knew she probably wouldn't leave Kristina, so he didn't. The knock on the door startled him at first, but then his confusion turned to happiness when he opened it and saw her there. She smiled. He smiled.

"I … I just can't stay away." She looked nervous. Her bottom lip was tucked tight in between her teeth.

He wrapped her in his arms there in the hallway. She seemed lighter to him … as if all of her problems had disappeared for the moment, but he was still here, Molly was still with Ric, Sam was still … Sam. He knew that she needed to forget everything.

He released her and walked her into his dark room, her hand in his, "Everything okay at home?"

"Home?"

"Yeah, Greystone."

"That's not my home." She pulled her hand out of his and noticed the panicked look on his face. When it turned into hurt, she smiled, walked over to the bed, crawled in and looked up to him.

"This is my home, Sonny. Wherever you are."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

"This is my home, Sonny. Wherever you are."

Sonny just looked at her lying in his bed at Roselawn, undressing under the covers. He walked over and stood by the side of it.

"So if I'm ever in prison, that'll be your home too?" He smiled.

She jerked her head up at him and had fire in her eyes.

"Why the hell would you be in prison?"

"No, I didn't …"

She interrupted him, "Why the HELL would you be in prison, Sonny?"

"Just if …"

"That's not the answer I'm looking for …."

"Wha …"

"Nope, not it either." She was getting frustrated. She stood up … naked … and walked over to him. He had to smile at the sight of her. As soon as she got out of the bed, he forgot what they were talking about … Skin? Home? Beauty? Prison? Love? Sex? No, Home and Prison … Damnit!

"Why the hell would you be in prison?"

"I wouldn't … ever … never ever …" He smiled and reached for her, but she backed away.

She stood there for a long moment, just looking in the darkness at his eyes, then she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, "Never ever, Sonny." She looked him in the face, dead serious.

"I'm sorry, I was just kidding."

"I know, but don't do that, Sonny, I can deal with bi-polar disorder, I can deal with you maybe leaving town on business for few days, but not prison. That's a deal breaker for me. I'd rather be with Ric …"

"Shut up," he said and kissed her mouth passionately and pulled her down on the bed on top of him, "No Ric. You ever go back to him, prison or not, I'll kill him."

She sat up from his embrace and pulled the covers around her, feeling angry … not really sure why, "Sonny, are you out?"

Sonny wanted to joke, he wanted to make light of this conversation and get back to what he was thinking about … the only thing he was able to really think about, but this conversation had to be had.

"I … I think so."

"You THINK so?!" She stood up and went over to the other side of the bed with the sheet wrapped around her, putting her clothes back on that she had scattered on the floor.

Sonny grew worried … this wasn't happening … he walked over to her and took her hands in his, making her stop getting dressed, that was the very last thing he wanted.

"Baby, listen to me."

"No, you …"

"Baby …"

"Sonny …"

"Sweetheart …"

"Stop, I can't …"

"Honey …"

She stood silent for a second, burning holes in his eyes with hers.

"Sonny …"

"Baby …"

"Listen …"

"I can do this all night … baby, sweetheart, honey, my love … shut up and listen to me."

"I really wish you'd stop saying 'shut up' to me … you know I don't like that."

Sonny pulled her in closer, taking her head in his hands so she could look no where else. "Be quiet … stop talking … hush … zip it …Alexis, my love, Jason is out … I think I'm out, but I need to check with him and make sure …"

"I met with Lorenzo … I helped speed the process along…"

"I know … that was stupid."

"I'm leaving … shut up … stupid … I come over here to be with you, and you're verbally abusing me and I won't take it." She said, half jokingly … she knew she wasn't going anywhere.

Sonny sighed, "You aren't going anywhere." He quickly undressed and stood in front of her.

"Oh, like that's going to do anything."

"It doesn't? You know you can't get enough of me."

"Ha! Sonny, baby, sweetheart," she mocked him, "I'm a woman …"

"I know."

"… and women think with their brains when it comes to sex …"

"… so our first time … you were thinking with your brain?"

"Okay, now it's time for you to shut up."

He smiled and started peeling off the sheet from her, "You didn't ask for 'protection' … that clearly wasn't thinking with your brain."

"And you didn't think of getting … that … either."

"I admit, I don't think with my brain when …"

"Okay …" she laughed. They were both naked now.

He smiled those dimples at her, "I love you, Alexis."

She smiled her dimples back, "I love you more."

He shook his head and took her in his arms. Before his lips met hers, he whispered, "Not possible."

Right then, Jason walked through the door …"Oh Jesus Christ … Good Lord … okay, I'm going to go carve my eyes out."

"Jason!" Alexis screamed at the man who was turning away as she grabbed the blanket off of the bed and threw it over her and Sonny. They were standing under the blanket and all Jason could see were their feet. He smiled, "Cut two holes in that and you'll have a great Halloween costume."

"Ha, you want me to drop the cover?" Alexis remarked.

"No! No, sorry, okay, Sonny, we need to talk if that's okay … I'll um … I'll be in the hall." Jason walked out and closed the door behind him.

Alexis leaned her head on Sonny's shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her waist, the blanket still over them both. She threw the blanket back on his bed and quickly jumped under it.

"Locked doors Sonny! Locked!"

He smiled down at her and went to retrieve his robe, "They don't have locks on the doors here."

"Great, now you tell me … after I was walking around your room naked … oh my God…"

"Now you're Sonny's Angel?"

Alexis' jaw dropped and she just watched him walk out, grinning from ear to ear. Bastard … Sonny's Angel sounded pretty good … and she smiled.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

"Sonny, I don't know what to do. I love her, but, I just … I don't know … I don't want … I don't think I can forgive her."

Sonny just looked at his friend. "Did you forgive Carly?"

Jason looked down. "That's different."

"How?"

"I'm use to her screwing up."

"But Sam does, and it's all over?"

"I didn't say that."

"Look, I don't want to come across as harsh, Jase, but, I don't care about Sam. She hurt Alexis."

"You and Alexis … you seem to be … naked a lot."

Sonny smiled and blushed a little, "Let's not have this conversation."

"I'm just asking, are you two … officially together?"

"Are we out of the business?"

"Yeah."

"Then yeah, I think … I'll have to check with her."

Alexis walked out from eavesdropping behind the door and stood next to Sonny. She was fully clothed and they both could see the disappointment on Sonny's face. Alexis rolled her eyes, "Yes, we're officially together … Jason, will you walk me to my car. I'm going to go on home Sonny, check on the kids, you know Michael and Morgan are there …"

"No, don't leave," Sonny whined.

"No, Alexis, please, don't make me be the reason …" Jason chipped in, helping his friend out.

"That Sonny doesn't get any?" she laughed and looked at Sonny, "I'll be by tomorrow."

Sonny pouted. Alexis kissed him gently on the lips, with the bottom one still poking out, "Quit being a baby … baby." Alexis smiled and threw her arms around his shoulders, squeezing him hard.

"Please don't leave …"

"Shut up …." She said and kissed him again, smiling … this time he kissed her back. If Jason weren't standing there, awkwardly looking to the floor and ceiling, Sonny would have ripped every piece of clothing off this woman so she couldn't go home, but Jason had seen enough of her … Sonny wasn't happy that he'd seen her naked, he'd be damned if he saw it again.

"I love you … I'll call you before I go to sleep …"

He raised his eyebrow and smiled, "I love you, be careful …"

Jason and Alexis walked down the hallway and down the stairs.

"How's Sam?"

"Fine … recovering nicely from her fake surgery."

"You're really that upset Jason? It could have been worse."

"How?"

"I don't know, but Ric and Sam scheming to get us to either leave Sonny alone or pay more attention to them isn't that bad … not as bad as it could have been … they could have actually maybe hurt someone, or, ugh, slept …"

"Stop talking," Jason said, instead of shut up, and Alexis had to smile.

She looked over to him, "See, you're so much more of a gentleman than Sonny."

He smiled, not really knowing what she was talking about. When they reached her car, she nervously looked to her watch. It was eleven o'clock. "Do you think Sam's still awake? You think I can go talk to her?"

"I'm sure she is. I haven't been home all day, but she stays up pretty late."

"Okay, follow me?"

"Yeah."

Sam looked up from the couch. Jason hadn't come home all day. She knew he was mad, but he'd have to face her eventually. What she did wasn't that horrible. She turned her head from the fireplace to see him when he walked in, but instead, she saw Alexis.

"Hi, Sam."

"Um … hi …"

"Can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure, come on in … I don't know where Jason is …"

"He's downstairs, he's giving us some time …"

"He brought you here?" Sam questioned, getting a little jealous.

"He followed me from Roselawn."

"Oh, so, you and Sonny?"

Alexis smiled at the mention of his name and her face brightened up. "Yeah. Crazy huh?"

"What about Ric?"

Alexis grew impatient, "What about him?"

"You're divorcing him for what we did?"

Alexis shook her head. "I'm…look, I didn't come here to talk about Ric. You're such good friends with him, talk to him yourself …"

"There's no need to get …"

"Hey … stop right there, before you get smart with me, think about what you did. I have every right to be short with you. What you and Ric did, could've cost Sonny weeks, months if Robin hadn't have figured it out."

"I don't know about that …"

"I do. He didn't need Ric, or Carly … he need me and Jason and Lainey."

"We hired a psychia …"

"No, that's not good enough … you obviously don't know Sonny very well. He felt trapped, claustrophobic, completely alone, even with Carly and Ric there."

"And what did he need, Alexis?"

"Stop with the tone Samantha," Alexis said firmly, "Sonny needed … needs someone who loves him unconditionally, someone without an agenda, someone who will give him what he needs …"

Sam was scared that Alexis would take this the wrong way, but she asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible, "What is that? What does he need?"

Alexis smiled, feeling bad for being so harsh with her earlier, "I … I don't know the word for it … support … safety … love … friendship …"

"And you give him that." It was a statement, not a question.

"I gave him my heart. Everything else, he's had forever."

Sam wanted to cry. She didn't know Sonny. That's not what made her sad, she knew that Carly and Ric didn't know what Alexis was telling her. She finally felt completely sorry for what they did.

"I'd give anything to go back …"

"Hey, it's okay, it was a few weeks, not months, and everything's fine now. Everything's perfect now." Alexis smiled.

"Did you ever love Ric?"

Alexis didn't move, "Sam, really, I came here to talk to you about us … not Ric, not Sonny, us."

"I'm sorry."

"And yes. That's my answer, we'll leave it at that for now … sit down."

And they talked…they talked and talked and talked for hours. Jason eventually had to come up and go to sleep, and he found them laughing on the couch.

"You did NOT shave your head!!" Alexis exclaimed.

"I did! I was fourteen, I thought I looked so cool!!"

Alexis looked over to Jason as he walked in, "Hey."

"Good, you're both fully clothed."

Alexis jaw dropped, "Jason!!"

Sam looked from Alexis to Jason confused. Jason looked over at Sam, "I'll tell you later."

"You most certainly will NOT!" Alexis ordered.

"Okay, Alexis, I won't …" Jason looked back at Sam and nodded that he would, completely so that Alexis would see.

"Jason, go away."

"I'm going, I'm going!" He ran up the stairs avoiding a pillow thrown by Alexis.

"Fully clothed?"

"I'll, um … I'll let him tell you, I'd rather not be here when you hear that."

Sam had a funny look on her face, "Okay…okay, well, hey, it's almost four, Alexis."

"Oh my God! Oh sh--! Damnit! f--!!"

Sam's eyes widened, "Alexis!!"

"I was supposed to call Sonny before I went to sleep…sh--!!"

"Hey, you haven't gone to sleep, it's okay."

"He's probably going crazy right now, look, I gotta go…sh--!"

"Okay, that mouth … Alexis …"

Alexis laughed, "Sorry, yes, I curse …"

"I see …" Sam was dumbfounded, this woman, the perfectly groomed, straight laced, high class woman who she always thought looked down on her … curses like a sailor.

"I'll call you tomorrow …"

"You won't forget?"

"Oh, ha ha …" Alexis laughed and without thinking, embraced Sam and kissed her on the forehead. That didn't shock Sam as much as the next thing that happened … Alexis was rummaging through her purse, making sure she at least had her wallet and keys … she and Sam had gone through it earlier, looking for gum …

"Okay, keys, wallet, license … okay, I'm gone … love you …" she said as she opened and closed the door behind her.

Sam stood there, mouth wide open. In shock. Did she just …

The door opened again, Alexis stood there and looked at her daughter the way she left her, standing there looking as if she'd seen a ghost. They just looked at each other, savoring this first moment.

"I love you, Sam."

Sam just stood there for another long moment, and then walked quickly into her mothers arms, "I love you, too."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

"I wish I had said it sooner," Alexis said, hugging her daughter.

"Me too. We never really talked like tonight. I mean, why didn't we talk?"

"You were too busy screaming at me."

Sam backed up, "I'm sorry."

Alexis looked down and then back up at Sam, "It's okay. You were angry. I was, too. It was hard to get through to you Sam. I mean, you were so dead set on me being a horrible person that ruined your life."

Sam nodded sadly, "I blamed you for everything, but our lives crossed paths at the worst of times, and it was hard to see that you were just there."

"I was just there, Sam. It was fate that I was there, but I think we were suppose to deal with those things so we could find each other, not hate each other."

"If I wasn't your daughter, I'd still hate you … that … scares me. I can't …" Sam sighed, "I can't imagine hating you, or even not liking you now."

Alexis smiled, "I never hated you, Sam. Never. I liked you. I thought you might be a little too dependent on Jason, and self-destructive because you accepted his life and that it could kill you, but I never disliked you."

"I know. But I hated you. I even told you that when Danny died. I said that I hated you more than anyone, and what scares me is that I meant it."

"You were distraught, Sam, he was your brother and I …"

"It wasn't your fault. I was selfish. I was horrible to you, and … you didn't deserve it."

"No, but I accepted it. I wanted to deserve it for you, Sam. I knew that you needed someone to blame. I know that I was wrong a lot. The blame isn't all on you. Everything that has happened to you, most people would've … broken apart, but you didn't. You were strong."

"It's in the genes."

Alexis smiled. She hugged her daughter one last time as the front door opened behind them and Ric walked in, drunk.

"Oh, you can forgive her, too!!"

Alexis and Sam looked over to Ric, shocked, and said nothing.

"You forgave Sonny, now Sam, what's next Alexis? Huh? You're gonna start scheduling play dates with Carly and Skye for the kids?"

Alexis finally spoke, "What the HELL are you doing here at four in the morning?! Just barging in!? Ric!"

Ric stumbled towards her and she helped him catch his footing, "You're so drunk Ric, my God! What's WRONG with you? Where's Molly? With Viola?" Alexis yelled.

"Yeah, she's with Viola, because you LEFT HER!"

"Well, I can fix that, I'm taking you home, and I'm getting Molly. Come on …"

"No!" Ric pulled away and stumbled towards Sam, "I need to talk to Sam … we need," they could barely understand him … he clearly had been drinking for hours, "We need to come up … with … um … a way to get you brack … bwack … no, back … we gotta get you back Lesis."

Sam stopped Ric from walking any further, "Ric … Alexis and I are okay, and I know you don't care about that, listen, go home, get sobered up, I'll get Jason to take you …"

"No!" Alexis interrupted, "Jason would be very unhappy about that, come on Ric, let's go home."

"Home."

Alexis' heart fell, "Yeah, Ric, let me take you home." She gathered her things and led him out the door, mouthing the words 'I'm sorry' to Sam before shutting the door behind her. Ric stumbled to the elevator and didn't say a word until they got into the car.

"I love you, Lesis."

Alexis started the car and looked straight ahead. She couldn't speak. She didn't want to anyway.

"I do. I love you so much. I can't live …"

"Shut up!!" She screamed as they pulled out, "I swear Ric, stop talking! I can't hear this. Your lies. Stop it! You're drunk and I'm NOT having this conversation right now! I will put you on the side of the road and drive on without you if you say one more word!"

That shut him up, well, that, or the fact that he passed out. She wasn't sure. She didn't look at him until they arrived at the lake house.

"Ric?"

"Ric!!"

"Yeah, what, huh?" he jerked awake and looked over to her.

They stared at each other for a long moment. He finally looked away, "Yeah, okay, yeah …" and he got out and walked toward the front door. She followed. She helped him reach their … no, his room, and he went in. She stood back in the hallway, pondering whether to go in, but she did, she had to make sure he was okay. After he flopped on the bed and fell asleep, she took his shoes off and covered him up. She stood there, looking down at him sadly. It was in that moment that she realized that she didn't love him anymore. She was sure of it. She hadn't doubted it before, but she had wondered if she had just denied herself the will to love him. After hearing him lie to Sam about her, her children, and the love that he told her he had for her, she knew she couldn't possibly love this man. She turned away and walked out the door for good. She didn't have the heart to wake Viola and Molly, so she went to Kristina's room and went to sleep. She was woken up three hours later with his hands wrapped around her on their daughter's bed. Their daughter …

She smiled and snuggled back against him, "I left Sam's at four o'clock."

"She told me." He wrapped his arms tighter around her.

"Why aren't you at Roselawn?"

"Why didn't you call me?" He kissed her shoulder.

"I … we were talking, then I had to bring Ric here. He was drunk."

"Yeah, Sam told me that, too. Are you okay?"

She turned over to face him, "I am now. You're here." She smiled and kissed him. He wouldn't let her stop kissing him after that and when his had reached the place where she wanted it the most, she pushed him off, "Sonny! We're in Kristina's bed!"

"Not anymore, she doesn't live here anymore."

"Sonny, please, come on, you have to get back, and I have to get Molly over to your house so we can get things started on the apartment hunting."

Sonny stuck his lower lip out and she leaned up to kiss it, "You're such a baby. You weren't this way before."

He smiled at her, "Yes I was, you weren't with me long enough to get this out of me."

Alexis leaned back and gazed up at him. This was the man that she loved, "I love you."

"Move into Greystone. Don't look for an apartment. Live with me, marry me, let's skip everything and just do this."

Her eyes widened. Once again, she couldn't speak.

He smiled, "Marry me, Alexis."


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"You're insane," Alexis said as she untangled herself from Sonny and stood up beside the bed. Sonny looked up at her hurt.

"No, I'm bi-polar."

Alexis smirked, "Well, I'm going to have a talk with Lainey to lower … or raise the dosage on your medication. You're talking crazy."

"What's crazy about me wanting you to be my wife?"

Alexis looked at Sonny as if another head was growing out of his neck at that very moment.

"Everything. That alone … Sonny, that's crazy."

"Okay, baby, you're hurting my feelings." He stood up and took her hands.

He moved from her hands to her waist and pulled her close. His mouth was inches away from hers. She got lost in his eyes as they stood there, sharing air.

"Sonny …" she whispered before his lips claimed hers. His hands moved everywhere, but he kept them hard on her, pinning her against him. He walked her over to the door, never breaking the kiss, and she was trapped between it and him. His left hand drifted away from under her shirt to the door lock. When she heard it snap, her eyes popped open. She couldn't do this here, "Sonny …"

"Do you love me?" He kept her pinned against the door, but leaned back to see what her eyes told him.

She stared in his eyes and without hesitation, said, "Yes."

"Are you in love with me."

"More than ever."

"So marry me."

She continued to gaze into his beautiful eyes.

"Sonny …" She shook her head.

"What's going on with you?"

She was getting defensive again, "Nothing, Sonny, nothing … absolutely nothing … is wrong with me …"

"Breathe." He let her go and she unlocked the door.

"Oh, don't start with the 'breathe' sht again!" She walked out of the room. He was crazy. They had just gotten back together. She wouldn't even consider it getting 'back' together. They never were 'together' to begin with. Sure, she loved him and him her that night they made Kristina and months before that and well … come to think of it, they never stopped loving each other, but marriage? Already? He was insane. She nodded in agreement with herself as she made it into the living room.

"Alexis!" Sonny ran after her, stopping when he saw her just standing there in the living room.

She looked back at him and had to smile. He was in his pajamas. Not his usual ones, but the ones Kristina bought him for his birthday last year. It was a dark brown short sleeve shirt and long pants, with golf clubs and golf balls all over it. On the shirt pocket, it said, "#1 Dad". Alexis started laughing.

"What?" He said innocently.

"Did you run all over town looking for me in those?"

Sonny looked down … then looked up at her embarrassed. His wardrobe was the last thing on his mind last night.

"Yeah … ok, well, I guess I am crazy. You drive me crazy." He walked toward her, "Alexis, talk to me."

"Sonny, we can't get married. We haven't even been together for … a month!"

"We've 'been' together for five years."

Tears welled up in her eyes. That was the sweetest thing she'd heard in a long time.

"Sonny."

"Alexis."

"Ric," Ric said, walking into the living room, already wearing sunglasses.

"Oh, Ric, you look horrible. Go back to bed," Alexis joked.

"What are you still doing here? And you?" He said, looking at Sonny, "What …" He took the shades off and looked closer at Sonny, squinting, "What are you wearing?"

Alexis burst into laughter and Sonny had to smile. Ric rolled his eyes. "So, you had a sleepover? In our house, Alexis?"

She grew quite serious after that, "Ric. I didn't call Sonny last night, he was worried. He came by …"

"You don't need to explain Alexis …" Sonny cut her off.

She looked at him with anger, "Sonny, go get in the car. I'll bring you back to Roselawn."

He just looked at her. He sighed and followed her orders, mumbling 'goodbye' to Ric on the way out.

Ric leaned against the wall and watched them.

Alexis walked toward Ric, "You feelin' okay?"

"Do you really care?"

"Ric please …"

"No, answer me …"

"Yes, I care. I want you to be okay. Jesus Ric, you just lied to me for MONTHS about loving me, pretended that we were this happy family for our daughter's sake … for MONTHS, and lied and manipulated my eldest daughter so she would hate me more. But yeah, I still care about your well being. I don't want you hurt Ric, or dead. You didn't do something bad enough to bring out that much Cassadine in me. I just want a divorce … and the sooner the better."

Ric swallowed hard, "Last night, I …"

"You told me you loved me. Why?"

"I don't know."

Lie.

"So you don't love me?"

"No, I don't."

Lie.

"Good."

"Yep."

Another lie.

"You're such a liar." She left the room to get Molly. Viola was very excited to be leaving this place. She didn't like Ric … never really had, but she knew she had to stay out of her boss' personal life. She had seen Ric support Alexis, through a lot of horrible, chaotic days, but she had also seen him cheat on her with that … other woman, she had seen them argue and fight, and she never really saw the love returned from his eyes to Alexis. She did see it that day as they left though. She held Molly up for him to kiss good-bye and saw his eyes up close as he looked toward Alexis standing at the door. It scared Viola because she had never seen him look that way. He loved her, and now it was too late. She wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

"Alexis …" Viola said as they were walking to the car.

"Yeah?"

"Ric … um … he …"

"Yeah." She knew.

"You know?"

"I saw it. Isn't it funny how my husband starts to love me when it's all over?"

"Um … funny? No. It's rather sad."

"For him, yes, but he'll move on."

"Or not."

Alexis stopped and looked at her.

"He better. I'm engaged to his brother."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Goodnight my love." Alexis placed Molly into the crib and ran her hand through her baby girl's hair. It was thick and black, unlike Kristina's when she was a baby. Sonny walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She wanted to drop Molly off before taking Sonny back to Roselawn. They stood there looking at Molly sleeping, Alexis smiling like the proud mother she was.

"Baby, she's so beautiful."

"I know. All my girls are."

He squeezed her and kissed her neck, "Did Kristina have this much hair at this age?"

Alexis leaned back into his embrace and stopped smiling, "No. She was bald for quite a while."

He smiled.

"I have pictures," Alexis offered.

Sonny stopped smiling and let her go. He started walking to the door. Alexis leaned down to kiss Molly once more and followed him out. They walked down the hallway hand in hand and reached Kristina's room. They just stood there by the closed door and looked at each other.

"You don't want to see the pictures?"

Sonny looked away sadly, "Is it horrible if I say 'no'?"

"Why?" She asked.

"I missed it."

She nodded, not knowing really what to say.

He let go of her hand and walked back, leaning against the wall.

"Sonny …"

"No, you don't have to say anything."

"I think I do …"

"I know. I know you aren't sorry. I know why you did it. I even think that … you might have been right … but Alexis, that was my daughter."

Alexis nodded, walking closer to him.

"I deserved to know her."

"She deserved to have a father who wasn't dangerous."

Sonny jerked his head up to her, "We shouldn't talk about this."

"Well, I'm not marrying someone who is still angry at me."

His eyes widened, "You?…"

She nodded, smiling.

"You're saying 'yes'?"

She bit her bottom lip, "Yes."

Without thinking, without remembering that they were in the middle of a serious conversation, he grabbed her and didn't let go. When his lips met hers, both of their minds were on nothing else. They stumbled back into his bedroom and he didn't let her out of the bed until they heard a knock on the door three hours later.

"Hold on!" Alexis yelled at the door, searching around the room for the sheets … where were they? The bed was lacking any kind of cover … it was just the mattress.

"Sonny?" She whispered, "Help me." She was running around the room naked looking for the bedcovers.

"I'm good … keep looking."

She looked over at him and gave him that look … he knew what that meant, so before she had the chance to hit him, he stood, looking for the sheets. Alexis found them in the bathroom …"Oh yeah." She remembered the shower. She smiled.

"Come in!" Sonny said after they covered themselves up. Kristina bounded in the room with Michael.

"DADDY!!" she yelled happily. She hadn't seen him in a while … and … he was in bed … with her Mommy.

"Hey baby girl … hey Michael, look, go downstairs and see what's for breakfast …"

"Dad, it's lunchtime. Hey Mrs. Davis," Michael greeted politely. What was going on?

"Hey, Michael. Okay, um …" She looked over to Sonny. Why didn't they look for their clothes instead of the bed sheets? She felt so embarrassed.

"Come on Krissy, let's go see what's for lunch."

"Mommy?" Kristina asked.

"Yes darlin'?"

"Um … never mind …" She smiled. She was five. She didn't know what was going on, but she knew it was funny.

After they left and closed the door, Alexis fell back and covered her face in her hands.

Sonny laughed and lay next to her, watching her reaction. She swiped his shoulder after she removed her hands.

"Ow …"

She smiled and kissed him furiously … forgetting everything.

"I hate you for this."

"What?" He asked out of breath as he worked to get the sheets untangled from her body.

"You're just … ugh … you."

He laughed and smiled against her lips as he completed the task of removing the sheet. He threw it on the floor and just stared at her.

She, on the other had … stared at the door, which was open … opened by Carly.

Carly stood there eyes wide, "Wha … oh..my … God … what the …"

"Carly …" Alexis smiled, "Please leave."

And she did, very fast.

Sonny looked around the room, "Um … Alexis?"

She looked from the closed door that Carly slammed, to him, sitting there naked beside her. She shook her head.

"What … what Sonny? What!?"

"These doors … um … they lock." He smiled … she didn't.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

They walked down the stairs smiling, holding hands

They walked down the stairs smiling, holding hands. Alexis looked over at Carly and Jason first. They were sitting on the couch whispering, stopping only when Sonny announced his presence.

"We're up … and we need to have a conversation with the two of you about knocking."

Alexis smiled over to Sonny. She couldn't take her eyes off of him. What the hell was she doing? She was madly in love with her daughter's father, yet she was scared to death.

"What's going on with you two? I get that you're back together, but … my Lord, do you have to have sex all the time?" Carly questioned.

"Yes," Sonny replied without hesitation, "You're forgetting Carly, we didn't get the time to really enjoy each other before."

"Because you were with me."

"I wasn't 'with' you, Carly … I went back to you … which clearly was a mistake," Sonny said harshly.

"Sonny …" Alexis warned. He shouldn't have said that. She knew that she didn't want him to go back to Carly back then, but …

"So you regret Morgan?"

"Carly, come on … you know he didn't mean it that way …" Alexis defended.

"Oh, no Alexis?! Well, you outta know, I mean … you know him better than anyone. Why did you come back to me then, Sonny? When you really wanted her? Why didn't you stay with her and have Kristina, then another child … you could have named it Morgan."

"Carly … that's enough …" Jason chimed in, standing from the couch going over to her to calm her down.

"No!! Jason, I know you're on their side now. Now that Sam and Alexis are all lovey dovey again!! You know what!? Screw this! I'm taking the boys out of here!"

"No!!" Yelled Michael, "No! I'm not leaving!" He ran outside. He had been listening to the entire conversation from the hallway to the kitchen.

"Michael!" Sonny yelled after the boy, but Alexis stopped him from following him.

"Sonny, I'll go, you and Carly need to talk," Alexis offered.

Carly made a face, but she knew Alexis was right … she needed to talk to Sonny alone … maybe she'd finally make him see he was making a mistake.

Alexis followed Michael up into the tree house.

"Are girls allowed in here?" She asked before she climbed the rest of the way into the wooden box.

Michael smiled, "I guess … Kristina hasn't been in here yet though …"

"Hmm …" Alexis was glad … it was pretty high up, "Okay … talk to me."

Michael looked kind-of uncomfortable. Here was this woman, the mother of his cousin and sister, the wife of his uncle, the girlfriend, he assumed, of his father, and the woman that his own mother hated. He had never seen her look like this … he just saw her climb a tree, which was funny in itself. She was sitting there looking at him, her hair pulled back into a bun, a gray sweatshirt with Yale written on it, and jeans, no shoes … she was barefoot!

"You climbed the tree barefoot?" Michael amused.

Alexis looked down at her feet crossed underneath her, "Ha! Yep, I guess I did. So, Michael, I know you don't know me that well, I mean, you've seen me here and there, and we've never really talked, but …"

"Are you dating my dad again?"

Alexis was stunned. Michael was ten. He knew what he saw earlier.

"Well, um … yeah, I guess. I … he can talk to you more about that, but, yeah, we're together. Do you hate that?"

"No. I don't … I mean … he just dates a lot. Emily just left, Mom gets back together with him, then they aren't together anymore, I just … I thought you were married to Ric?"

"Well, Ric and I are separated now … we're getting a divorce … this must all be really weird for you."

"Yeah, people break up a lot and get back together and … just … they go in circles."

Alexis laughed. Her life. One never-ending circle, that started and ended with Sonny over and over, "This town is peculiar … all of your relatives are peculiar … and I mean the Quartermaine's, too."

"Yeah, them the most."

She laughed again, "Michael, do you ever talk to your father? Or mother? About these things? I mean, do you ask them what's going on?"

"I try, but they say I'm too young to really understand."

"But you do don't you?"

"I think so. I know that Kristina is Dad's and yours … that you two were never married … or even dated … I know that you're married to Ric and Mom is dating Jax and you use to be married to Jax … and that Jason's fiancé, well, they're broken up now, but Sam is your daughter … and …"

"Okay, Michael … listen … you don't need to worry about all of this. I never really thought about how confusing it was … even to me. You're a wonderful kid … young man, sorry," she corrected when she noticed his expression at being called a kid, "You're a wonderful big brother, and son, and nephew, and you don't need to worry about your Mom or Dad. Okay? All you need to worry about is school, and having fun. You do know that we all love you right?"

Michael nodded. She said 'we', "Thank you … Ms. ..."

"Alexis … call me Alexis please …"

"Are you and Dad going to be together for a while? I mean, I know that you don't really know for sure, but, do you two love each other?"

Alexis smiled, "Well, I know that I love your father more than any other man in the world, so yes, I think we'll be together for quite a while."

"Good. I think Kristina will love that."

"Me too. And you? Do you like me?"

"I'd be stupid to say no."

"You 'can' not like me, Michael. I mean, I want you to like me, but you don't have to like someone just because your parents like them."

"Like Mr. Alcazar."

Alexis stopped smiling. Her heart started beating, "Is he still in your mother's life?" She would have to rip into Carly if he was.

"No, I mean, I don't think so, but I was just saying that I didn't like him."

"Oh, okay, whew, you scared me there." She playfully swatted him on the knee, "Come on, let's go inside and find the kids, I'm starving!"

Alexis climbed down first, very proud of herself for not falling, and barefoot at that! She felt like a kid again … or what it would have felt like as a kid to climb a tree. When Michael skipped the last few steps nailed onto the tree and jumped down next to her, she threw her arm around his shoulder and led him back up to the house.

"We should do this more often, kiddo."

"I agree. But no more 'relationship' talking, like you said, I don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Nope," Alexis said as they were closing in on the back door to the living room, "No more worrying, no more being confused, just enjoy being a ten year old." She smiled and opened the door … the smile faded. Her heart sank … Sonny … Carly … no Jason … no kids … standing too close … kissing … Alexis stood there, arm around Michael's shoulders, mouth open, eyes wide …

Michael looked exactly like Alexis … mouth wide open and eyes wide, but he composed himself first …"Um … can I be confused about this?" He asked her, eyes fixed on his parents.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Alexis ran down the hallway immediately, not seen by either Sonny or Carly

Alexis ran down the hallway immediately, not seen by either Sonny or Carly. Michael stood there in the doorway, his parents now looking at him.

"What did you say Michael?" Sonny asked his son.

"Um … why were you kissing?"

Carly smiled and looked at Sonny. Sonny looked over at Carly, furious, but he didn't show it, "We were kissing 'good-bye', your Mom is leaving, but you and Morgan are going to stay the night here with Alexis and the girls."

"Oh, okay … good. Bye Mom!" He said innocently and ran up the stairs to his room.

"Why did you grab me like that?!" Sonny asked, his anger rising in his voice.

"Like what?" Carly questioned, playing dumb.

"I went to kiss you on the cheek Carly, on the cheek! And you grabbed me. Why did you kiss me like that?"

"Habit. Gotta go." She smirked, and was gone.

Sonny rolled his eyes. Fighting with Carly for five minutes was exhausting, but the thirty that there were in there seemed like an eternity. She was spouting her usual hate toward Alexis and he was just listening. His ears hurt … but the kiss … it still pulled on his mind. Why would she do that unless … oh … sht …

"Alexis? Hey …" Jason held Alexis in his arms after she ran into him in the dining room, "Hey," he looked at her closely, "… are you okay? Where's Sonny?"

Alexis couldn't breathe … she was trying … but it would go into her body … she couldn't get any air into her. She felt like falling to the floor, and she would have if Jason wasn't holding her.

"Alexis?"

"Whaa … no … um ... oh …" she was stumbling with him guiding her to the chair.

"Hey, calm down, where's Sonny?"

She looked at Jason, now breathing heavily … she needed something … she needed more air … she needed her heart back … "There …" she pointed toward the living room, "kissing … um … I …" She wrapped both of her arms around her stomach and hunched over, trying to get some air into her.

"What do you need? Water? A paper bag?"

"Out … I need out …"

"Okay, I can take you …"

"Keys … where are my keys?"

"Alexis, you can't drive like this."

"I'm FINE!" She screamed as she stood up and ran up the back stairs to find her keys.

Jason just watched her leave … he quickly walked into the living room … no one. What the hell was going on? Kissing?

Sonny ran up the stairs immediately after Carly left, Alexis was no where to be found. He ran downstairs back into the living room … no one … down the hallway … no one … back to the living room … Jason, "Hey, Jason? Where's Alexis?"

"Where were you?!" Jason screamed.

"Running around the God D house looking for Alexis! We really need just one hallway and ONE staircase. Where did you see her last?"

"She ran up the back staircase talking about her keys."

"Oh man!" Sonny wiped his hands down his face and ran back up the stairs. No Alexis. He went to find Leticia and Viola, but he only found Leticia, Michael, and Morgan. Alexis was gone, and she took her girls.

--

Alexis stared at the wooden door. She didn't know where else to go. Kristina was holding on to her Mommy's leg, looking up at Viola next to them holding Molly. The door swung open slowly.

"Hey! Hey you guys!" Sam said to Kristina and Molly … then looked at Alexis. She could tell something was wrong. After the girls went upstairs with Viola, Sam sat next to Alexis, who hadn't said a word or moved from the couch.

"Alexis?"

Alexis didn't respond … her eyes were fixed on the end of the coffee table.

"Alexis?" Sam touched her mother's shoulder.

Still, no movement, nothing …

Sam didn't know what to do, so she sat, running her hand across Alexis' back. What was going on?

"Please talk to me," Sam begged and as soon as the words left her mouth, Alexis burst into tears and fell against her daughter, wrapping her arms around her. Sam just held her. Alexis couldn't breathe, she was sobbing so hard that it hurt … she wanted to vomit, she wanted to hit something, she wanted to sleep. Sam ran her hands through her mother's hair, but didn't say anything. Alexis was holding on tight to her daughter, so tight that she thought she was hurting her, but Sam said nothing … she was just there. Alexis couldn't stop. She wanted to, she wanted to pull herself together and to tell Sam what was going on. She must look insane, like she'd completely lost it, but Sam didn't care … she didn't act like anything was wrong with what Alexis was doing.

Jason walked in to see the two women huddled together on the couch, Alexis losing control of everything, and he yanked out his cell phone immediately and walked back into the kitchen.

"Hey, she's here … no, no, look, just give her some time. I'll explain everything to her. Sonny, you have to get back to Roselawn. I'll bring her there later … yeah, yeah, okay." He hung up the phone. Jason sighed and sat down at the table. He would give them time. Sam was finally getting closer to her mother, so he wouldn't go back in there right away. Alexis can't be that upset …

He was wrong.

It took a while for Alexis to calm down. She wasn't in hysterics, she wasn't out of control sobbing, it was silent tears that stung her skin as it fell. Once again, she was here … full circle.

Sam stretched her arms and legs, trying though to not make it seem as if she was uncomfortable. Alexis needed her right now, and she'd be here, but she had been sitting in the same position for a while, but … it was worth it.

Alexis finally sat up. She looked apologetically at Sam and then looked around the apartment. Her old apartment … Sonny's … oh God … she stood quickly.

"I have to go."

"What?!" Sam was taken aback …"Where? No, Alexis, hold on," she pleaded as she grabbed Alexis' arm lightly, stopping her from leaving out the room into the hallway …

"No, Sam … you don't understand, I have to get out of here …"

"Why? What did I do?"

"No, not you … him."

"Who? Jason? Who, Alexis, tell me … please … Son-"

"DON'T!!" Alexis screamed, "I can't hear it … not right now … I have to go, Sam, please, watch the girls …"

"Alexis! No, don't leave, please, talk to me!"

"I … I can't … right now, Sam, I use to live here … you know that, and he lived there … and we …" she looked over to his old door … she closed her eyes to see the image of them on the other side of that door, her crying, begging him not to kill A.J., him holding her, kissing, leading her up to his room, sitting on the bed …

"NO!" She slammed her hand once more against the down button for the elevator.

Sam wouldn't let go of her arm, "Please, Alexis, you're scaring me, come back inside …"

"Sam," Alexis took Sam's face in her hands, "I can't be here right now. Thank you … thank you, baby, for being here for me, for helping me, now let me go. I have to get out of here. I'll be okay. I'll be back."

"Ookay," Sam said with confusion, "Where are you going?"

Alexis shook her head, then walked into the elevator alone after it opened, "I … Sam, I don't know … I need to think. I need …" she looked away. "I'll be okay," She said as the doors closed. They closed around her. She slumped to the floor once hidden from view. Where was she going?

Sam hit the doors to the elevator, then shook her hand, "Ow … okay … what now Sam? Crap!" She walked back into the apartment to Jason.

--

"Oh, hi."

Alexis looked up at him through her tears, "Hi."

"Are you okay? Where are the girls?" Ric asked, looking behind her.

"With Sam … um … can I come in?"

"Sure, um … yeah, come on in." Ric was confused.

"You, I … I just don't get it," Alexis said walking past Ric toward the alcohol.

"What?"

"Men."

Ric nodded and watched Alexis pour a very large glass of whiskey, and drink it like it was water.

"Alexis? What? What happened?" He was worried. He'd never seen her drink anything but wine. And not that fast.

"Men … happened. You know, I use to be independent. Mmmhmm, yep. I was. It was just me … well, and Stefan … ha! Then … men happened." She poured another glass, this one larger, and downed it.

"Okay, enough with the whiskey." He took the bottle from the table and she swiped it away from him

"I bought this bottle asshole! It's MINE."

Ric backed off, "Okay, fine, okay, take it. Stop drinking so fast, you're gonna be sick."

"I am sick, Ric. I'm SICK!"

Ric just looked at her … was she being serious?

"I'm sick of YOU, I'm sick of CARLY, I'm sick of MY JOB, I'm sick of this TOWN, and I'm sick of … I'm sick of …" she couldn't say his name.

'Okay, she's not really sick … good,' thought Ric as he sat down beside her on the couch.

She was drinking out of the bottle now. He watched her, unable to stop her because he knew he would regret it. Luckily, the bottle wasn't that full to begin with. It did get her drunk though. They sat there in silence for a long while. Alexis cradling the empty bottle to her chest, Ric sitting on the edge of his seat, just watching her breathe.

"Alexis?"

"I walked in on Sonny and Carly kissing."

Ric's jaw dropped slightly.

"Oh … oh, wow. Um …"

"Yeah … um …" she smiled and let out a little laugh, "Wow."

"Are you sure …"

"Yes, Ric, I can see."

"No, I mean …"

"Yes, Ric!! They were kissing, Carly was grabbing his shirt and was leaning into him … I ran before they saw me of course. 'Cause that's what I do … I run. I …"

"Alexis …"

She wasn't listening, "I run … as faaasst as my legs can take me … then," man was she drunk, "Ha! Then, I do it aaallllll over again. You'd think I'd learn right?"

"Alexis …"

She started to speak again, but Ric was getting fed up.

"Alexis … SHUT UP!!" He yelled, causing her to jump and finally look over to him. She was finally silent.

"I'm sorry. Alexis, be quiet for a minute and listen to me. Are you sure that it was 'like' that? I mean, they have children together, Sonny still, sort-of likes her … as the mother of his child Alexis … are you sure it wasn't just an innocent kiss that didn't mean anything?"

"Carly will never stop being in love with Sonny. He'll …"

So he kissed her. Ric pulled her up from lying back on the couch and kissed her. The bottle fell to the floor. He savored the kiss, knowing it would be their last, and she didn't stop him right away … until their tongues touched. She pushed him back, and her left hand slapped him across his face.

"What the HELL are you doing!?" She yelled, standing up … then sitting back down, bringing her hand up to her head.

"You okay?" He smiled.

"I'm drunk … answer my question Ric!!" She stared him down.

"I kissed you."

"Yeah, I got that much … what for?!"

"To prove to you …"

"Prove WHAT?!"

"Are you going to let me finish?"

She looked at him with complete fury … when he didn't say anything, she motioned angrily for him to continue.

"Did you feel anything? When I kissed you, did you feel anything?"

She looked away from his eyes to the floor, the table, the chair across the room, "No."

Ric nodded, knowing that before she admitted it.

"Okay … then you know."

She looked at him confused, "Know what?"

"Alexis. I'm in love with you. I felt something. You're not in love with me … you didn't. Sonny's not in love with Carly. I promise you, it was an innocent kiss that meant nothing to him. He's in love with you."

Ric watched her wrap her mind around his simple explanation, "Do you get it now?"

She looked over to him, in his eyes, he was hurting, but he was right. "You didn't have to kiss me to explain it."

"I … I wanted to. I'm sorry."

After a moment, she smiled. "Thank you."

He nodded.

She leaned back on the couch, the room spinning. She closed her eyes. He didn't move. He just wanted to watch every move she made while he could. He knew she hadn't passed out. He knew she was thinking.

"Why didn't you love me when we were married?" She asked.

Ric wanted to cry. He didn't know, "I … I took it for granted. I did love you. I just … didn't know how much. I thought … I thought I'd have you forever. I took you for granted."

She looked over to him and smiled sadly, "Two years Ric? We were married almost two years and you never once realized? I mean, forget the months that we were separated, forget the months at the beginning when we were getting to know each other, two years …"

"Were you in love with me?"

"Yes," She answered quickly, looking away.

"When did you stop?"

She bit her bottom lip. She felt the tears coming, but she refused to let them fall, "When you told Sam that I loved Kristina more than Molly. When you told her that you were only with me so Molly wouldn't have to experience family court. When you didn't answer 'yes' to her question of 'Do you still love Alexis?'."

Ric couldn't say anything. He didn't know where to begin. That day was … difficult to say the least. Bernie dropped by to relieve Ric of everything he'd been working on for Sonny, he hadn't spent much time with Alexis for … a while, Sam was angry, spouting out her usual hatred … Ric didn't want to explain all of that to Alexis. It was too late now.

"You and Sam are okay now?"

Alexis nodded, "Yes. We're working on it. I want to be close to her."

"Good."

She continued nodding, staring at the floor. He took her hand.

"Alexis?"

Her eyes met his.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry mainly for me because I lost you."

"I'm sorry for Molly … I'm sorry for … you, too, Ric, but I'm not sorry for me."

"You shouldn't be. You're happy now."

"I'm engaged."

"What!" He smiled. He didn't even think, but he smiled.

"Yeah."

"Wow. That was quick."

She smiled back to him, squeezing his hand.

"So, you're gonna need that divorce soon, huh?"

She laughed at that, "Yeah. Please …"

He nodded, and helped her stand, "You're not driving anywhere."

"No, I know. I'm going to call Sam…she can come pick me up."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Sam said the girls could spend the night with her. Alexis felt bad, but she was grateful. She needed to see him. She stepped out of the jeep at Roselawn, thanking Sam and ordering her to drive slower. Sam smiled, "Yes, Moooom," she joked.

Alexis smiled and shut the door, watching her eldest daughter drive slowly away. She drew in a long breath and turned around, facing the front doors to the building. She hated admitting she was wrong. She hated apologizing, but … she had to. She was wrong … and it pissed her off that Ric was right. She walked through the doors and up the stairs and down the hallway to his door. She stood on the other side of his room, nervously working up the courage to knock. She, unlike some, knocked.

Sonny was sitting in bed … looking down at the phone … thinking. He heard the knock and his heart jumped, he knew it was her. He couldn't move.

She opened the door slowly and met his eyes instantly. He stunned her. He was hurt, and she could tell. She softly closed the door behind her, eyes still on him, and walked slowly to him, stopping a few feet away from the bed.

Sonny spoke first, "I will never see Carly again if you don't want …"

Alexis let out the breath that she'd been holding for what seemed like forever and sat down on the bed, looking away sadly, "I don't want that."

"What do you want? I'll do anything."

She looked over to him, "I'm sorry. I jumped to the wrong …"

"She grabbed me … she must have known you were looking. I didn't know what was going on … and you have every right to jump to the wrong conclusion."

Alexis looked away.

"I messed things up once before, Alexis." He took her hand out of her lap and scooted towards her. She was still looking away, "I'll never do it again. You're it …" he brought his hand up to her face and turned her gently to meet his eyes, "You're all I've ever wanted."

She let the tears fall as she leaned in and wrapped her arms around him. She was amazed at how easily she believed him. This time, she knew he was for real. She leaned her head back to respond, but he claimed her mouth with his, sweetly apologizing through his kiss.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," he whispered over and over as he undressed her.

The next morning …

"Lainey's mad at me," Sonny said as he ran his hand up and down her back under the sheet.

Alexis lifted her head off his chest and smiled up at him, "Well, you did break out of here for almost two days."

"It's your fault."

"How is it my fault?"

"You didn't call me."

"You could have called me."

Sonny rolled his eyes, "It's still your fault."

Alexis returned the eye roll.

"It is! If you weren't …" he moved her up so she was face to face with him, "you … I wouldn't have had to come find you."

"What does that mean?" She played dumb, fishing for a compliment.

"I didn't get enough of you the night before." He smiled against her lips.

"Well, you didn't get any that morning either."

"Not for lack of trying …"

He smiled, "I love you, Alexis Davis-Corinthos."

Her mouth opened wide, and she smiled.

"You like that?" He asked seductively.

"I do," and they did what they did best … for hours.

"So tell me again what Ric did …"

"Sonny, you have to let it go."

"He kissed you."

"He was making a point … a very good point."

"I don't care, he kissed you."

"Baby … let it go."

Sonny pouted, "Don't leave me for him."

She laughed, "Like that's possible …"

"It is. He's more like you Alexis … you and I have nothing in common …"

"I beg to differ …" as she kissed down his chest.

"He's your equal …"

She became frustrated and stopped, looking annoyed, "Women who strive to be equal to men … lack ambition."

He smiled … that was so Alexis, "Where did that come from?"

"On a bathroom stall."

He laughed and continued their dance.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

Alexis stretched out every inch of her body in the bed next to Sonny. It was the middle of the day, but they didn't care … until she looked over at the clock and saw that it was almost two.

She moaned in disappointment. He had been awake for an hour, watching her sleep, running his hands through her hair, remembering their first night together, and every time after that.

"What are you whining about?" Sonny asked her, kissing her 'good morning'.

"I wasn't whining."

He gave her a look.

"I wasn't! Whatever! It's almost two. I have to go get the girls to meet Ric."

"What for?" He was getting jealous.

"Stop it. We're going to meet for ice cream at Kelly's and then meet Sam at the park."

"Sounds like a wonderful family outing."

She swiped at him and continued, "Then we're going to the courthouse to get a very speedy divorce."

Sonny's eyes brightened and he grinned, "An end to a perfect day."

She smiled at him, "I can't wait to marry you … and I can't believe I just said that … Alexis Davis choosing to finally get married."

Sonny took her in his arms and held her close, "I've been waiting for this for a long time. And you've been married for two years now …"

"We had to get married because … never mind … you said you've been waiting for this for a long time … what took you so long?"

"I have no idea … stupidity?"

"You're not stupid."

"I was … not now …" he kissed her neck.

"So, are you going to ask me what day I've decided on?"

Sonny looked up to her and smiled. "Have you picked one?"

She nodded, grinning.

"When? When? When?" He responded like a little kid.

"Kristina's birthday is coming up. I think she'd like it."

"I think that's a great idea … wait … Alexis? Her birthday is two months away."

"Yeah?"

He sighed and went back to pouting.

"What? You can't wait that long?"

He looked away sadly, "I guess."

"Aw … baby … you're pouting again …" she joked.

"Let's get married tonight … no one will have to know ... then on Kristina's birthday, we'll have the big, enormous wedding."

Alexis's eyes sparkled, "You're afraid I won't go through with it."

He shrugged, "This way … you'll have to."

"I will you know?" She became serious.

He just looked at her. This was important for her.

"I will go through with it. I'm not running anymore."

He nodded … squeezing her tighter, "I wouldn't let you … and if by some chance you started running, I'd catch you. Unlike Ned, I wouldn't give up."

"Sonny … please, don't mention Ned … or Ric … or anyone else for that matter when we're laying here completely naked with each other and you're …" she smiled, felling him against her.

"When I'm … what?" He grinned seductively.

She just smiled, crawling on top of him …

The day had been perfect. Alexis was sitting in her car, waiting for Sonny to call her, thinking about her day. Ric hadn't tried anything … no begging, no professions of love … it looked like he was actually happy for her. She felt sorry for him a little, but not too sorry. He knew what he had done was wrong … marrying her to get back at Sonny … then, yes, falling in love, but still obsessing over his brother. Alexis thought back to the time when she was pregnant with Molly and Ric wasn't there. He was with Sonny. Thinking back now, she wished that she had been with Sonny, but there was still that tiny little obstacle named Reese. She made a face and tried with all her might to get the woman's face out of her mind. A lot had happened since then, and Alexis honestly didn't regret much … now especially, as she answered her cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Hello my beautiful bride."

"Not yet."

"Ten minutes. It's close enough."

"You're on your way?"

"Yep, what are you wearing?"

Alexis laughed, "Jeans."

"What?! I asked you to dress up!"

"I was joking … I'm wearing a dress … a simple, plain dress."

"I can't wait to see you."

"I see you." She smiled, watching him step out of his limo and walk over to the car, smiling back.

"You're so beautiful," He complemented, helping her out of her car.

"You, too." She was so happy.

"Let's go."

"K."

In the room where they were to be married, Sonny took Alexis' hand and squeezed it. They had been waiting for the judge for twenty minutes.

"Is he giving us time to think?" Sonny asked.

"Or time to plan an escape route?" Alexis joked.

"You're okay?"

"I'm perfect."

He leaned in to kiss her, "Yes, you are."

"Sonny?"

"Yes?"

"Were you always this corny?"

He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, "Nope … just with you."

The judge walked in and apologized for being late … noting that Alexis should understand. She did. Standing before the judge, Alexis wasn't nervous. Her heart was racing, but it was because she was doing something that she knew was right … finally. After the judge made his remarks, he asked if they had anything to say. Vows … Sonny cursed himself for not even thinking of writing any … oh well, he'd wing it. Alexis first …

She turned to face him, "I've never wanted to get married. I knew that I could live a long and happy life … just me. Then, you gave me Kristina. I knew then that I could live my entire life, long and happy, with just her. Then, I was given Molly. Even though I was married, I knew that I could live my whole life … long and happy … just the three of us … but then, I was given a second chance with you … and I can't imagine life without you. We could live the rest of our days happy together and not do this … not get married, but I would always have wanted it. This is right. I will never regret marrying you … I have never been as happy as I am in this moment … thinking of you and me, and our children … Sam, Michael, Kristina, Morgan, Molly, and um …" she smiled and took his hand to place on her stomach. Sonny gasped and smiled his gorgeous smile at her, letting the tears form. Alexis continued, "I know now that, I can live my life, long and happy, with you."

Sonny smiled, wiping the tears that had fallen down her cheeks, "And you say I'm corny. We're having a baby?" She nodded happily. He kissed her … even though he knew it wasn't time yet …

Sonny's turn … after he composed himself, he started …

"We didn't always get along, but I've never stopped loving you. Not one moment. I remember the exact second that I realized I was in love with you … in Puerto Rico … and every time I saw you, every time we argued … you yelled at me … I yelled at you, every single time, I remembered that moment … you on the fountain." He smiled, "You are … I would say 'the best thing' in my life, but you would get angry." She laughed, "Kristina, Morgan, Michael, Molly, and now …" his hand still on her stomach, "are the best things in my life. You … you gave me three of them and you've helped me become a better person for them all. We've been through so much together, as friends, best friends, enemies, and lovers, but we have always managed to save each other from complete insanity. Alexis, you've saved my life more times than you know … and I intend to let you to save me forever."

The End

Thanks for reading! Forget, btw, that it takes months to finalize a divorce!! :)


End file.
